


for the siblings' amusement (the perfect plaything)

by teacupmochi



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, S&M, Smut, because i'm suho trash, how do people do this, idk what else to tag, slave!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-08-07 11:29:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7713307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teacupmochi/pseuds/teacupmochi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Junmyeon was draped in silk and decorated with jewels, but Junmyeon really, really wished that he at least had some underwear on right now. Some trousers would be nice as well. But no matter how much he hoped, the chilly air on his bare legs reminded him of the fact that he wouldn't be able to get any even if he begged desperately on his knees. Such actions would result in punishment, and Junmyeon most definitely did not want to ruin his record of going three years without a whipping. This was the life of a slave, and as of now, Junmyeon could do nothing but accept it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one: father's gift

"Suho!"

Even after several years of going by this name, Junmyeon still found it unfamiliar to his ears. He nearly didn't react to his name being called until he realized that to the world, he was no longer Junmyeon. He was Suho, the "finest product of this operation", as his keepers had nicknamed him. He wearily propped himself up from his lumpy mattress, worn sheets falling around him. Carefully, he climbed down from the top bunk, making sure not to disturb the slumbering body on the bed under his. The guard at the entrance gave him pointed look, a silent warning to Junmyeon for being too slow. The awoken slave shuffled to the cell door, peeking through the steel bars with lidded eyes and mussed hair.

"You've been sold," the guard started, "we'll be generous enough to allow you a few minutes to say goodbye to your..." he gestured to the unmoving lumps sleeping behind Junmyeon, "worthless friends over there. You can pack up your belongings as well. Be done quickly; we have to make you presentable. I was instructed by the customer to bring you unharmed, but I won't hesitate to give your pals over there a lashing if you take too long."

The guard shooed him off with a wave of his hand, his silver armor clinking as he walked away, swirling his staff.

Junmyeon nodded rapidly and bowed (he would have much rather scowled, but he had an image to upkeep) before scampering to the mass of metal-framed bunk beds and shaking his two closest companions awake. The many others residing with him in the dreary space might be disappointed to see him gone without farewell, but he knew that he didn't have very much time to say his goodbyes; waking everyone up would be a waste of these precious limited minutes.

"Mmm, what is it?" a muffled voice asked.

A few seconds later a head of messy blonde hair popped out from underneath a threadbare blanket. Small hazel eyes surrounded by tan skin blinked up at Junmyeon before crinkling up into a smile.  Yellowish teeth shone brightly. Freckles and moles dotted the dark face, painted on nearly every inch of skin.

A long groan was heard from nearby as lanky arms shoved the covers off its body. The owner of the arms sat up crankily while rubbing her black eyes and setting her sights on the person who woke her. She ran her fingers through tangled red curls before giving up on straightening them.

"What the hell d'ya want Suho? I'm tired, and I have to help with construction today."

Junmyeon smiled apologetically at the woman before ruffling the head of blonde hair next to him. The boy laying under the covers nuzzled himself into the comforting warmth of pale hands.

"I'm being sold."

His two friends froze with expressions of shock on their faces. When they finally registered what he had said, they instantly scrambled over to the sitting Junmyeon, suffocating him with tight embraces. The boy had his face buried into a pale chest and the woman rested her face upon a black head of hair.

"I thought we'd have a little more time to spend together," she began,"but I guess Suho is the most desirable beauty here after all. The 'epitome of perfection', am I right? What are we going to do about our 'Marvelous Trio' huh?" She removed herself from the miniature pile of bodies and smirked as she jokingly squished Junmyeon's face together in between calloused palms.

"Yo jus jeawous," he returned, mouth opening and closing like a fish's as he tried to enunciate each word. He then attempted to pry off his friend's hands, and she gave his head a little shake before letting go.

The tawny boy only clung onto Junmyeon, grumbling and whining like a child.

"I don't want you to go," he cried, gripping the raven's pajamas firmly as he squirmed around in the young man's lap. The other could only rub the younger's back soothingly as his thighs began to feel sore under the weight of the seventeen-year-old. A barely-there grin made its way onto Junmyeon's face.

The pale man took a good look at the place he considered his home for the past four years, taking in the small room and all of its inhabitants. He scanned the gray walls stained with black, the stone floor covered in bits of straw and dirt, the long rows of rusted bunk beds, mattresses falling apart at the seams. He let his eyes trail over his dozens of slumbering roommates in their own decrepit blankets and off-white pajamas, dirt and grime smeared all over their skins. There was the chamber pot in the corner of the cell as well, dumped out daily by the space’s occupants. Though it wasn’t much, Junmyeon would certainly miss it all. He let out a sigh and glanced up at the ginger perched next to him, then looked down briefly upon the person getting comfortable on his lap. He’d miss these two the most.

"Minjun, I'd love to stay, but I only have a few minutes before the guard comes back and calls me again," Junmyeon explains while lifting the teen off of his legs and standing up gracefully.

The other pouted, but relented, and flopped dejectedly onto his bed.

"This isn't fair to you," Minjun complained, rolling his tan body over to lay himself on the redhead's lap instead. Solmi- that's what she was called- toyed with blonde locks of hair, watching Junmyeon as he deftly gathered the one keepsake of his past the organization had kindly let him keep.

"It isn't fair to anyone of us in here," Junmyeon's dulcet voice replied,"but what can we do. I'm lucky I was even given time to say goodbye to you guys."

Minjun flipped over, exasperated.

"Ugh, why do you always have to be so right?"

Junmyeon just smiled at his two friends before tearing a piece of cloth off of his bedsheets and stuffing a small cord necklace into it. He tied it up into a makeshift pouch around his wrist and exhaled deeply.

When they saw he was done packing the only thing he owned, Solmi and Minjun stood up with watery eyes to give their Suho one last hug.

"I guess this is farewell, huh," Solmi stated.

"I guess so," Junmyeon paused. "Solmi-noona, Minjun, be happy," he said as they untangled from one another.

"I'll miss you, Suho-ah~" Minjun grinned.

"Aish, that's Suho-hyung to you, you ungrateful brat." Junmyeon laughed.

A few seconds of silence and staring passed, and suddenly the man found himself feeling nostalgic, recollecting the past few years with the two people in front of him. He bit his lip and his face scrunched up as he fought off the tears that threatened to fall. Solmi’s own face scrunched up in mock disgust.

“Don’t cry; you’re ugly when you cry,” she nagged, gently wiping his tears away with her thumbs.

Minjun started to quietly sob himself, and Solmi went over to comfort the teenager as well, petting his unruly locks and kissing his forehead like a mother would.

“Suho! Your time’s up!” the guard shouted from the other side of the steel bars.

Junmyeon put on a stoic face prior to making his way to the cell door, turning around once to take one last glance at what he’d be leaving behind. He was surprised no one else had risen yet and smiled softly to himself. _They’re all like logs when they sleep_ , Junmyeon mused.

“Hurry up!”

Solmi lifted her head and gave Junmyeon a smile with a wave of her hand. She shielded the crying Minjun from the guard’s view, fearing the possible consequences the boy would receive if he was spotted in his current state. Junmyeon simply nodded at the pair before stepping through the unlocked exit and being escorted to the baths. _Goodbye_ , he thought to himself as he walked away, head down and hands behind his back, falling under the obedient image he had carved himself in this place.

 

 

If the escorts noticed Junmyeon’s swollen red eyes, they didn’t say a thing about them as they guided him down an endless maze of stone-covered halls. The one who had hailed the slave previously strode briskly in front of him, leading the way. There was another behind him to make sure he wouldn’t make an effort to flee. It was eerily silent as the group marched through torch-lit corridors, save for the sound of heavy footsteps and the jingling of the metal protecting the guards' bodies.

Junmyeon cast furtive glances at the numerous amount of cells that lined the hallways, each an exact replica of the one he came from. Some other slaves stood by the barred entryways to catch a glimpse of the renowned beauty, but Junmyeon ignored their gazes as best as he could, turning his face away from those who wanted to take a peek at his appearance. He also took note of the scattered wooden doors here and there, the rooms in which he was taught an assortment of skills such as singing, dancing, and cooking. They were also where he learned of the more... lewd activities a slave had to master. Soon a twisting staircase opened up in front of him, and he ascended the steps into a world he had never seen before. He was fearful of what was to come, but a part of him was deeply thrilled that he'd be back on the surface after all of these years.

A glaring light temporarily blinded Junmyeon, and the raven squinted at his surroundings. Gradually his eyes adjusted to the brightness- something he hadn't been able to experience in a while- and he was stunned by the grand hallways, much unlike the ones under the ground on which he was treading. The floors were made of glossy tile and sunlight from enormous windows that reached from floor to ceiling made the fancy tile shine even more. Red patterned wallpaper was interrupted in intervals with Greek-styled marble columns. In between these intervals was lavish decor that Junmyeon had exclusively seen on the inked pages of the books he studied beneath the earth. He was fascinated by vast amounts of exquisite paintings and elaborately-designed vases.

There were intricately-carved busts of people whom he did not recognize and stunning flower arrangements that seemed to have come straight from a fairy tale garden. Crystal chandeliers were hanging from above and candelabras tucked into the walls of the mansion gave it all a more regal atmosphere. Large wooden doors engraved with complex motifs and embellished with ornate doorknobs opened and closed as scurrying maids, servants, and slaves performed their tasks while maneuvering around each other with ease. Concentrated on their jobs, they paid no attention to the two guards walking past with a tiny figure amongst them.

Eventually, they reached a set of double-doors colored a rich chestnut brown, the outline trimmed in gold. A pair of maids stood on either side of the entrance with their heads bowed as they cradled towels in their arms. One of the guards shoved Junmyeon forward, causing him to stumble a bit.

“He needs to be prepped for delivery. Make him look nice.”

The women nodded their heads and unlocked the doors, quickly ushering Junmyeon inside. With a click, the entrance was shut. The wide-eyed slave took in the luxurious bathroom. There were several bathtubs that seemed more like pools than anything, and they were encased by what Junmyeon assumed to be jade. All the faucets and fixtures were of the color gold, and the rest of the space was smothered with marble tile.

Without warning, the maids began to strip Junmyeon of his ragged clothing, taking the pouch on his wrist as well. Automatically, they put the clothes in a pile for disposal along with the wrapped up necklace.

“W-wait- the pouch- it- I,” the slave stuttered.

The women simply ignored him and urged him into one of the tubs.

_Oh, well..._

Junmyeon only sat there uselessly as filth was scrubbed from his milky white skin. The once crystal clear water was now a swirling murky brown. Patches of soap suds drifted aimlessly with each of the water’s ripples.

The brown-haired maid to his right grabbed a little porcelain jar from a colorful array of containers. She removed the lid and scooped out a pinkish substance with two fingers (Junmyeon recognized it as shampoo, an extravagance he had come to appreciate since being kidnapped) and massaged the contents into the man’s scalp. His eyes fluttered shut at the relaxing sensation, and it felt as if only seconds passed before he was being pulled out of the clouded bathwater and hastily dried off with a towel. Another jar was opened, and this one held some sort of fruity-smelling lotion that Junmyeon discovered he quite liked. Both maids worked diligently in rubbing the cream into his skin, but the slave couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable at the treatment.

When they finished, the two women maneuvered Junmyeon in front of a mirror. This was the first time the man had seen his reflection in years, and he readily soaked in the view of his slightly hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes. Despite the sickly features, Junmyeon supposed he was relatively healthy-looking compared to the image of himself he had envisioned in his mind over these agonizing months. He noticed his had hair grown fairly long as well, cascading just beyond muscled shoulders.

The black-haired maid began to run a comb through his slightly damp locks and procured a pair of scissors from the vanity drawer. Junmyeon watched as she snipped away at the mop on his head, eyes following long, wispy strands of hair and their journeys to the ground.

Minutes flew by and the two women labored on cutting and styling Junmyeon’s locks as he got lost in his thoughts. They opted to leave his shortened hair down, giving him a more boyish charm. The raven thought he looked quite nice now that he was all washed up; perhaps as pretty as everyone made him out to be.

The last step of Junmyeon’s cleansing was slipping into a silk robe after having some makeup caked onto his face. The powder felt heavy on his skin, and he wondered how women dealt with this every day.

As soon as the maids deemed him done, they steered him to a different room occupied with a tall tri-fold mirror and several changing screens. There was a number of imposing mahogany wardrobes as well, and their doors were flung wide open as the women grabbed differing articles of clothing for Junmyeon to try on. He eventually left the room, oddly feeling more exposed than he did before.

 

 

Junmyeon descended timidly down the staircase to the entryway with the brown and black-haired maids leading the way in front of him. Once the pair reached the bottom of the steps, they parted and stood off to the sides, revealing a middle-aged man in a flamboyant forest green coat ornamented with frills, tassels, and ribbons of all sorts. The coat was complemented with khaki pants that bulged out from the man’s shining black boots. A large pouch and whip dangled from a belt on his waist. The slave instantly kneeled at the sight of the male; he was the head slave trainer that supervised most of Junmyeon’s lectures.

“Is he finished?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Come along now.”

Junmyeon promptly stood up and followed the man to the carriage parked in front of the manor. It was painted a deep ebony and bordered with elaborate swirls of gold and white, sporting some red curtains in its interior. The superior had Junmyeon enter the vehicle first, and the slave shuddered when he felt eyes boring holes into his ass. With the click of the door and the clopping of hooves, a new chapter in Junmyeon’s life was set in motion.

Junmyeon sat stiffly in the velvet seats of the carriage and stared at his lap with kohl-lined eyes, inwardly cringing at the sight of his bare skin. He was wearing pretty much nothing but a royal blue silk tunic with puffy sleeves that reached the middle of his forearms, it's length barely reaching mid-thigh. How he wished he at least had on some trousers. Even some underwear would be nice. The only other things he had on were pieces of jewelry that felt like ice against his skin, a reminder of his scarcely-clothed state, leaving goosebumps all over his body.

A golden circlet with a red jewel hanging from it rested neatly upon his head under his raven bangs. Wrapped around his throat was a golden choker lined with shimmering stones in various hues of blue. An anklet sat above the simple leather sandals on his feet, its small red charm flinging around aimlessly as the coach shook due to the rough road. Bangles and bracelets dangled on his arms, all of various designs and inlaid with gems of reds, whites, blues, and purples. They all clinked together as they led to Junmyeon's bound wrists and the extravagant handcuffs surrounding them (just for decoration because surely the "perfect slave" wouldn't try to escape). The slave even had a few tiny jewels glued under his eyes, giving an ethereal look to what would be just plain brown eyes.

Hours had gone by on the road, and the suffocating silence made the slave anxious.

Junmyeon longed to take a peek outside of the carriage, awfully curious of where he was being taken, but the trainer had his steely eyes trained on the pale-skinned beauty. He knew such behavior would result in punishment. With his head down and his hands in his lap- the position he was trained to sit in- Junmyeon could only wait for whatever fate had for him at the end of this long, turbulent journey. He hoped that wherever he was headed, there was at least a small chance of escape.

The hours continued to tick as the sun made its own journey across the sky.

At last, the horses gradually came to a stop, and as a result, so did the carriage. Junmyeon exited the vehicle, eating the last of the bread he had been given. His eyes widened a fraction as he took in the garden encircling him. There were bushes trimmed in a variety of shapes, flowers that glowed with vivid colors, and masses of fountains and statues strategically placed within the confines of towering stone walls. The sun was setting as well, lighting up the estate with hues of oranges, pinks, and purples. It was breathtaking.

“Suho.”

The slave was snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his name. Ahead of him on the cobblestone path stood his trainer with an irritated expression painted on his face. Junmyeon quickly returned to the other’s side. The man then spun around on his heel and tramped to a gargantuan pair of doors. Junmyeon was awestruck; the manor he came from was certainly impressive, but the one he was currently standing in front of had to have belonged to royalty or deities or someone of the sort.

Suddenly the doors swung open, exposing an entryway of sophisticated whites and blacks. One glittering chandelier hung over the space precariously, shining light into every corner of the room. A butler stationed at the door bowed and motioned to the rest of the house.

“Welcome, Sir Yejun, please make yourself at home; the young masters will be down in a moment.”

Yejun gave the butler a polite smile and a ‘thank you’ before settling himself down on a couch to the side of the room. Junmyeon took his place next to the piece of furniture and scrutinized the tiled floor beneath him. Soon enough there was racket from upstairs and a mixture of questioning voices as what Junmyeon assumed would be his new masters graced the guests with their presence. _It would be odd,_ the slave thought to himself, _to have more than one master._ A blush crept onto Junmyeon’s face at the possibilities. _I’ll get myself out of here before that happens. Somehow._

A male of a short stature with a youthful appearance separated himself from the group of chattering men and approached Yejun with a calculated smile. He surely couldn’t have been a day over twenty. His cheeks were rounded ( _like a steam bun!_ ), and Junmyeon felt that he looked quite cute, unlike his firm demeanor.

“Pleased to meet you, Sir Yejun, was it? I’m Kim Minseok, the oldest son of Duke Kim.”

He paused for a second to offer his hand out for a handshake. The other happily obliged, and Minseok continued.

“For what purpose have you come to visit our estate this fine day?”

The trainer gestured to the pretty male next to him, and the latter lifted his head to meet his new- well one of his new master’s eyes. The royal raised a brow and turned to Yejun in confusion.

“I don’t remember anyone of us purchasing a… slave.”

He whipped his head around at his siblings and shot them a questioning gaze. Most of them either shrugged their shoulders or shook their heads; some just returned the gaze blankly. Junmyeon shifted uncomfortably. _Then why am I here?_

Yejun let out a laugh.

“Ah, so he didn’t tell you? Your father, that is.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know of what you’re referring to. Did father need something from us?”

“No, no, not at all. He just wanted to reward you all for getting along so well lately-”

The sentence was interrupted with a loud snort and a subsequent ‘Ow!’

“-despite the... circumstances,” Yejun continued. “He decided Suho here,” the trainer nudged Junmyeon forward, ”would be the perfect gift.”

The middle-aged man leaned in towards Minseok, mouth hovering next to the younger’s ear. The royal flinched, and his fists clenched, knuckles turning white.

“And I can assure you, Minseok, Suho is the best there is in this industry.”

Stepping back with a nauseating wink, Yejun peeked over Minseok’s shoulder and smirked at the group of brothers crowded several feet away from the area of conversation.

“Have fun boys! And thank you for having me over.”

With that, the middle-aged man made his exit, but not before Minseok called out to him.

“What about all of the slave’s jewelry? Surely it came at a hefty price, and I don’t think you’d want to leave it here.”

“It’s all your father’s! He requested us to deliver Suho to you like this, all dolled up and pretty like a little princess. You don't have to worry about the payment either; he's already been paid for.”

Junmyeon’s eye twitched in irritation at the comment. _It’s okay, it’s okay. Once I get out of here, I’ll get the respect I deserve. I have to be patient._ Yejun left with a wave of his hand and a slam of the door. The slave had been so focused on the other’s departure that he did not notice when Minseok strolled towards him. The royal grabbed Junmyeon’s chin, and the slave’s eyes widened in surprise. Their faces were centimeters away from one another as Minseok studied the other with great detail. Junmyeon did the same, ogling the round-cheeked man. _Master is... quite handsome._

“We’ll keep you for now, I guess,” Minseok said as he rubbed his temple. He then began to stride away and abandoned Junmyeon, leaving the man without any orders on what to do now. Should he go find someone to take him to a room? Should he begin working or cleaning or something? Should he get changed out of this bothersome garb? The slave spun around to ask the other brothers- his other masters- that appeared to have already set their sights on the beauty, each with different emotions in their eyes.

One of them stepped in the direction of Junmyeon with a playful grin and droopy, puppy-like eyes slightly crinkled in amusement.

“You’re _that_ Suho, right? The one I always hear things about?”

Junmyeon simply moved his head up and down. As far as he knew, he was the only Suho around.

“Do you want to know what I hear about you? It’s only been good things, of course.”

 _No, no I don’t. I already am aware of what is said about me._ Junmyeon wanted to reply, but he instead remained silent like the good slave he’s expected to be. A dainty hand cradled his chin and a thumb ran across his lip. The two were chest to chest with one another as the brother leaned down, lips ghosting the shell of Junmyeon’s ear.

“I’ve heard you’re very skillful with your mouth- and your hands too- but you want to know what I hear the most?” He stopped for effect and licked his lips, his other hand trailing down to the hem of the perky curve of the slave’s ass. He gave the globe a squeeze before tracing his fingers along the crevice in between the two cheeks. Junmyeon involuntarily shivered and let out a squeak.

“I’ve heard that no one has popped your little cherry down here yet.”

The raven flushed once again and his eyelashes fluttered. It was true, though. Even though slaves had to learn how to please with their whole bodies, the virgins had their holes left untouched. Virgins were a rarity, and as a result, worth more gold. So, for the sake of profit, virgins were best left as virgins. Junmyeon silently thanked his teenage self for not being a horny bastard, but that wasn’t the issue at the moment. Though he had wished for something to cover his bottom half hours prior, he desperately needed it now. He could see that the other siblings had left, and he was glad for that because this was kind of humiliating. Luckily for him, the droopy-eyed man removed himself from the slave only a second later with a satisfied smirk and hands on his hips.

“You’re cute. We can have our fun later. See you, Suho-ah~”

And with that, he sauntered away to… wherever he was headed. Junmyeon still had no clue about what he should be doing, and he did not feel like getting lost in an unfamiliar place trying to find Minseok. He let out a sigh and sat against a nearby wall, carefully checking that his tunic didn’t reveal any more of his pale expanse of skin, and waited.

Surprisingly, he didn’t have to wait for very long before the butler that welcomed him- or at least Yejun- offered his hand to the pale-skinned man. Junmyeon accepted it graciously and smiled kindly at the other.

“I apologize on the young masters’ behalves. They’re not bad people; they’re just… sensitive right now. A lot of things are happening in their current lives; they don’t mean any harm.”

“It’s alright. I- I understand.”

“I’ll take you to your room. Since Duke Kim had already informed me of your arrival, I’ve had a room prepared for you.”

The butler laughed at the shock that showed on Junmyeon’s face. The slave couldn’t have even imagined having a room all to himself, being a slave, so the news of it came as a bombshell.

“It’s because you’re a slave that specializes in sexual activities; in the occurrence that a young master does not want to soil his own bed, he can simply go to your quarters.”

_Oh. Well, that makes much more sense._

“But you can still sleep and spend your free time in there if you’d like. All your belongings will be kept there as well. Did you bring any luggage with you?”

Junmyeon shook his head no, recalling the incident with his one and only belonging.

“Alright then. Well, here’s your room. We’ll need you up in the morning at six o’clock sharp tomorrow to talk about your jobs around the mansion. There is a wardrobe full of a week's worth of your required work uniform and one set of pajamas in the room. At the end of each week you must wash your own clothes and clean your own room; the maids will not help you. They will only change your linens when it is necessary. As for your own hygiene, there is a community bath on this floor that you can use. Soap, lotion, toothpaste, and any other toiletries you may need are provided there. Meals are served at the servants’ cafeteria downstairs. My name is Kyuhyun; call for me if you have any questions or concerns.”

The butler turned and walked away without a farewell, disappearing down a turn in the hallway. Suddenly Junmyeon realized that he should have been more vigilant in memorizing the path he took to get here. He dashed down the hall to see if Kyuhyun was still nearby, but he didn’t spot the man anywhere. With a groan he trudged back to his quarters in defeat.

He’d have to figure this out later. For now, he just wanted to sleep.


	2. two: before dawn

The twinkling night sky was still dark, the moon was still hovering high up in the canvas of stark black, and Junmyeon was still wide awake, unable to will himself into a dreamless slumber despite his exhaustion. He craned his neck to stare at the dimly-lit clock across the room. It read two thirty: two and a half hours before the time he was planning on waking up and getting ready.

After a quick bath and a change of clothes, Junmyeon had found himself thinking back to Solmi, Minjun and the place he used to consider a home of sorts.

_How are they doing? What are they doing right now? They’re fine, right?_

Those questions danced around in his head along with the images of his friends toiling away in silence. He thought about the necklace as well. It was a simple thing really, just a thin leather cord with a dull gray stone hanging from it, but it was precious to Junmyeon. Minjun had come running up to him one day, giant grin on his face and arms behind his back, and stuffed the accessory into his hands with a ‘Surprise hyung!’ Junmyeon had pestered the teenager about the origins of the incriminating thing for the whole day, but he was always answered with giggles and a ‘Don’t worry hyung; it’s just a gift~’ Even now Junmyeon still puzzled over the necklace and where it came from, but he no longer bothered- could no longer bother to ask about it.

That was how the last few hours had passed: just the pale-skinned male and his pondering. He shuffled in his sheets a bit, the soft fabric cool against his skin. It felt nice, perfect even. His bed was a luxurious one, one that he would have never imagined lying before, even prior to being forced into the livelihood of a slave. The linens and blankets were obviously made of a very fine material, though it was one that he could not identify. He shouldn’t have had any trouble with falling asleep, yet here he was, staring blankly at a dark brown wall and the mirror propped up against it. Through the reflection, he could study his entire room without very much movement.

From what Junmyeon could see, the rest of the space was spruced up with abstract (very, very abstract- _is that supposed to be a crocodile?_ ) paintings, houseplants, and pieces furniture crafted out of some type of wood. It wasn’t as extravagant as the rest of the manor he had seen, but it was certainly an upgrade from the dingy interior of his old cell. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

The slave carefully pulled the sheets off of him and slipped out of bed, nearly falling out of disorientation. He supposed that if he was going to waste time, he might as well waste it doing something useful- like exploring. Running a hair through his newly shortened locks, he stumbled around the moonlit room before indiscreetly opening the door a crack. Junmyeon peeked out into the hallway, checking to see if anyone else was awake, and to his fortune, the halls were void of any guards or other workers. He dashed into the hall, the door shutting softly behind him.

Where was he going? He had no clue. Each step with bare feet took him further into an unfamiliar maze of hallways. He made sure to pay careful attention to his surroundings in order not to get too hopelessly lost. Eventually, the pristine white walls made way for a view of the starry sky and manor garden, marble arches and railing lining the walkway Junmyeon currently tread upon. Vines of pink flowers wrapped around the stone structures and vibrant green shrubs sat along the bottom of the rails. Junmyeon slowed down his pace and stopped to admire the scenery.

Surprisingly, he hadn’t been caught by anyone yet. Perhaps there were no guards at all (he didn’t remember seeing any when he had first arrived, but he just kind of assumed they were stationed somewhere else), and everyone else seemed to be slumbering. Closing his eyes, Junmyeon relished in the freedom he was experiencing for the first time in years. With a small smile, he leaned over the edge, arms folded against his torso. One day, maybe one day he’d be free alongside the friends he had left behind.

The humid, cool air ruffled Junmyeon’s already messy hair, and he breathed in the slight smell of wet grass and perfumed flowers. His white cotton pajamas were dampened by the dew that gathered in the early morning, yet he oddly didn’t mind. He was contemplating possible escape tactics while studying the gargantuan smooth walls that surrounded the estate. It was a guarantee that he would have to wait before making any attempts; he hardly knew anything about the place. The question was, how much time did he have? If Junmyeon stuck around for too long… well.

The chirping of crickets and whispering of grass were the only sounds to be heard until a muffled thunk resonated from the hallway Junmyeon had come from.

“Shit!”

The slave whirled around to see a tall, gangly man with large ears rubbing his bruised shin from behind him, seeming to have recently risen from slumber. Junmyeon’s eyes widened and he quickly began to run in the opposite direction, distressed at the fact that he was only gaining distance from the safe haven of his quarters. He still had absolutely no idea where he was running off to, but he kept on moving his legs anyway. Hastily, he sprinted around an approaching corner, yanking open the nearest door and shutting it as softly as he could. The pursuing footsteps the pretty male was expecting to hear never came, to his relief.

Slumping to the ground, the pale-skinned man struggled to catch his breath. The peace only lasted for a few moments before Junmyeon realized that he had intruded into a completely unknown room. What if this space he had blindly scampered into was someone’s bedroom? He nearly groaned in despair prior to halting himself; if he hadn’t woken anyone up already, he surely would have if he vocalized his anguish. Inwardly groaning instead, he exited the mystery room and made a beeline to his own.

A small part of Junmyeon nagged at him, saying that he should have investigated the area he had snuck into, but in the heat of the moment, he didn’t dare look back in fear of seeing someone returning the gaze. In fact, he did feel the presence of a pair of eyes boring into his back as he fled, but he wasn’t sure if that was just a work of his imagination or not. Having had enough of a thrill for the day, Junmyeon slipped back under silken linens and tried to properly use up the two hours he had left to sleep. He only ended up sleeping for one.

  


Clad in only a pair of violet trousers and accessorized with only a silver choker and matching circlet, Junmyeon wondered why his uniform lacked any top. It was practically a reverse of yesterday's wretched outfit.

“Good morning Suho. Did you have a good rest?”

 _Not at all._ Junmyeon had the urge to reply, but he refrained from doing so and gave a slight eye smile.

“I slept well, Kyuhyun. Thank you.”

The brown-haired butler simply nodded and proceeded to lead the tired slave out of his quarters. He navigated around the few maids and servants that were up and hustling to perform their jobs and entered a secluded office with Junmyeon in tow.

"I'll be speaking to you about the details of your job at the mansion now."

"Alright."

The butler inhaled a large breath of air. 

“As the young masters’ personal slave," he began, "you’re essentially just required to do whatever is asked of you by them. If they want you to cook them dinner, perform a dance, or even tie their shoes, it is your responsibility to complete the task.”

Kyuhyun sat down in at a desk and motioned to the chair across from him. Junmyeon took a seat and sat up rigidly as the butler elegantly pulled open a drawer and grabbed several files, each stuffed with dozens of papers.

“That also includes things such as kisses, handjobs, blowjobs, and bending over for them at any given time.”

Junmyeon wondered how Kyuhyun could utter all those words with a completely straight face. The raven could barely look the other in the eyes as he was speaking. Instead, he observed the artistic carvings in the wooden desk and the plush burgundy carpet between his toes.

“Your job here is to satisfy their needs; part of that also means that you will have to memorize their preferences and such. What kind of sauce they prefer on their food, what kind of songs they favor, etcetera.”

The butler slid a pile of files in front of the uncomfortable slave.

“That’s what these are for. Over the years I have worked for them, I have accumulated a vast amount of personal information that you will find useful in executing your job well. Please do study these earnestly whenever you have the time to do so. Right now I will give you an explanation of who they are so you at least have a basic understanding of their background.”

Flipping over the cover of the top file, the man revealed a rough sketch of what the raven assumed to be all of his masters. _One, two... eleven._ Junmyeon mentally counted. _Wow_. Next to the picture was a mass of carefully written text.

“First of all, you do know of the fact that they are all siblings, correct? They may not look it, and their names may not show it either, but they are all indeed brothers.”

The slave nodded. It was one of the few things Yejun had mentioned on the trip here. Kyuhyun hummed in approval and continued on.

“As for the reason why, that is due to Duke Kim’s- their father’s- wife.”

The brown-haired male leaned back in his seat and resumed his explanation.

“Several years ago they decided to try for children. However, it soon became apparent that the couple would not be able to bear their own. A doctor had examined the two and discovered that Duchess Kim was infertile. So, in order to fill the void of not having children of their own, the pair decided to adopt.”

_That doesn’t quite explain the abnormal amount of children, though._

“The first was Master Minseok, the oldest- as you know. He was fairly handsome and quite charming as a young teen; the Duke and Duchess were enamored. I believe their obsession with adopting began here. The couple had rapidly become set on having a collection of beautiful adopted children in order to make up for the lack of their own. They completed their collection within the next few years, taking in ten more orphans.”

With precise movements, the butler pulled out another file from underneath the first one, opening it as well. A sketch of a very pretty man ( _he was a male, right?_ ) smiled plastically at him. A list of basic facts and another wall of text surrounded the image. The slave vaguely recognized the face from the many he was exposed to yesterday evening.

“Each file is essentially an extremely detailed profiling of each of your new masters. Like I previously mentioned, you should go over these well. They contain a good amount of knowledge and instruction that will be of your benefit when conducting your tasks.”

“I will do my best,” Junmyeon mindlessly responded.

Another satisfied hum seeped from Kyuhyun’s lips as he handed the papers over to the raven while standing up. The other tucked the information into the crook of his elbow and stood up as well, following the butler back out to the corridor.

“As for your job today, you’ll start off with waking each of the young masters for breakfast. Once they all come down for their meal, you shall join them as well for the purpose of familiarizing yourself with all of them. From then on you’ll be assisting in coming celebration preparations, but when any one of the masters asks for you, they are your priority. The preparations are just to give you something to do in the meantime. Do you have any questions?”

“A-are you sure I can eat alongside them? I mean, I kind of am their slave…” _And I feel like it’d just be plain awkward to try and make conversation with them._

“It will be fine. It’s not as if you’ll be served with the same cuisine they will be receiving. You’ll be getting your breakfast from the servant’s cafeteria as you usually will.”

_That’s… not quite what I meant, but alright._

“Anyhow, the next floor up is where each of the young masters’ bedrooms is situated. We need them down by seven-thirty, so I’d recommend that you start waking them now. Some take quite a bit of time in dressing themselves. While they’re getting ready, you may either look over the profiles I have given you or help the other workers with the celebration plans. They'll clarify what is happening for you if you're curious.”

With a wave of dismissal, Kyuhyun left Junmyeon behind in the middle of the hall. Blinking a few times, the slave eventually decided to leave the papers in his quarters first. Then he’d head upstairs and wake his new masters up. _Hopefully, nothing will go wrong._ It would be Junmyeon’s first time meeting the majority of them after all.

  


As the raven ascended the black granite staircase, he took the opportunity to soak in more of his surroundings. Though the manor was sharply decorated with a variety of black and white tones, there were a copious amount of red and gold accents as well. For instance, the steps Junmyeon was currently climbing had a ruby velvet carpet running down the center of them. There was significantly less greenery as well compared to his old manor, save for a few shrubs potted in stunning vases here and there. It was a style of decor he had never been exposed to prior to his arrival here, and it was all rather foreign to him.

Once the raven reached the top of the stairs, he was greeted with a lounge area with two tufted chaises. Sandwiched between the two was a scarlet tufted couch with a pillow tucked into one of its corners. There were two tall bamboo trees rooted in rectangular glass vases settled behind the piece of furniture. A fluffy beige rug was spread across the floor underneath it all. To Junmyeon’s surprise, there also lay three happily panting dogs on top of the rug, tails wagging lazily.

Mere milliseconds had passed when the canines abruptly stood up on their legs and bounded to the pretty male, circling his legs and sniffing curiously. Grinning, Junmyeon kneeled down to pet the dogs and consequently was slathered in their drool. The smell of dog breath and the sound of barking invaded the man’s senses, but he was far too ecstatic about the discovery of the cute pets to care. _Surely the masters could wait a little longer; they’d probably appreciate a few more minutes of sleep._

“Monggu? Jjanggu? Jjangah? What’s going on?” a voice called out.

The dogs instantly shot off to the owner of the voice and began to scamper back and forth between the slave and what the slave assumed was one of his masters. Junmyeon kneeled to the ground promptly and bowed his head down.

“You can stand.”

As Junmyeon rose to his feet, a pair of tan legs clothed in gray pants come into his vision. They made way for broad shoulders cloaked in wine and a striking face of caramel framed with coffee locks. Junmyeon’s heart tightened a bit at the reminder of Minjun’s tawny skin.

The other frowned a bit at the raven, cradling one of the pups in his arms.

“Are you here to wake my brothers and me up?”

A nod. “Yes, master.”

Plump lips had their corners pulled down further, silently communicating the man’s irritation.

“Next time, don’t bother the dogs.”

Taking all three pets along with him, the royal walked away. Then, without warning, his head appeared around the corner, disheveled hair flopping haphazardly.

“I’ll be getting ready; you won’t need to intrude on the room that reads ‘Kim Jongin’.”

Gone once again, the coffee-haired master returned to his chambers. Coos and praises for the pets echoed down the halls, clashing with giddy yips and barks.

_That was... interesting… Master must really like dogs._

And with that impromptu encounter concluded, Junmyeon started down the corridor Jongin vanished into and sought to accomplish the task he was ordered.

Doors of ebony stretched up from more tiled floors, each with a name scripted in silver lettering in its center. The first door he came across displayed intricately swirled characters that spelled out the name ‘Oh Sehun’. Debating on whether to begin his task here or at someone else’s chamber, he pouted his lips and shifted his feet nervously. Junmyeon wasn’t sure if he wanted to start off with a master he had not met yet, so he turned away from this entrance and resumed his trek through the hallway, now in search of a name he knew other than for Kim Jongin. That left him with the sole option of Kim Minseok.

  


A mix of Korean and Chinese names the raven did not recognize blurred by with each stride through the passage. Finally, at the very end of the rows of doors was the one that he was looking for: Minseok’s. Junmyeon didn't particularly feel comfortable in the man’s presence, but overall the other didn’t seem too unpleasant. Knocking twice, the slave did not receive any response. Fingers reached out to grasp the silver knob and twisted.

_Here goes nothing._

There was nothing but silence as the pale-skinned man opened the door, not even a squeak from the hinges. The household must have been exceptionally well maintained.

Darkness concealed the contents of the space, and Junmyeon blindly navigated around the faint outlines of furnishings and decor that occupied the room. Permeating the dark was a small sliver of light trickling through the cracks of another door in the space. The pretty male made his way to the source of illumination and knocked again.

“Come in.”

Junmyeon let himself into the new room and a warm yellow light enveloped him. From what the raven could observe, the space he had entered was a small study. Shelves brimming with assortments of books and intriguing trinkets covered the walls. In the center of it all was a large oak desk placed in front of a polished leather seat. Minseok leaned back into the chair, putting down his pen and placing the papers he had been working on in neat, organized stacks.

“Is there something you need?”

“Please be down for breakfast by seven-thirty, master.”

Stretching his arms out, muscles rippling beneath a simple cream tunic, Minseok muttered an ‘Alright, thank you.’ before dismissing Junmyeon. The raven bowed once before scurrying out to the hall, shutting the door carefully behind him.

  


Immediately he made his way to the next room across the passageway. In contrast to the many names he had seen, this one was fairly short.

_‘Lu Han’... Sounds foreign._

Rapping on the door, Junmyeon anticipated a reply. Instead if a plain ‘Come in’ however, the pretty male found his response in the form of the entrance being swung wide open. He nearly let out a scream, but as a more polite alternative, he quietly gasped instead. Sparkling doe-like eyes blinked at him in curiosity and a tiny smile grew on the stranger’s face. Junmyeon recognized it as the face in the file.

“Good morning. Do you need something?”

The master rubbed at his eyes and yawned before returning his attention to the new slave. Golden strands of hair fell gracefully over his face; only a few tufts were out of place. In embarrassment, the tops of Junmyeon’s ears were stained a faint pink. Lu Han was quite beautiful, maybe even more than Junmyeon himself.

“Please be down for breakfast by seven-thirty, master.”

“Sure thing! Thanks for the wake-up call; I’ll be down by then.”, the master replied, his smile growing bigger.

Waving goodbye, the blonde closed the door. Junmyeon concluded that he liked Lu Han. Lu Han was nice. Moving on to the next person he had to wake, Junmyeon found himself in a happier mood.

  


Following Lu Han was another unusual name: Wu Yifan.

After knocking on Yifan’s door several times with no answer, Junmyeon tried to open it. He yanked and pulled the knob, good mood having dissipated in the meantime. It was locked. Giving the piece of wood a few more forceful strikes, he wondered if any of the other masters would be this difficult to awaken. Like previously, there was no response.

“Excuse me? Master Yifan?”, Junmyeon tried calling out. Silence. His eye began to twitch.

“Master Yifan?”

“Don’t interrupt my beauty sleep, please! I’ll be down for breakfast or whatever when I get my allotted eight hours.”, a deep voice groaned.

Stunned, the slave just stood there frozen for a moment before snapping out of his surprise. _I guess I’ll just trust that he’ll be down on time... I shouldn’t bother him anymore._

  


On the opposite side of the hallway was a door that displayed ‘Zhang Yixing’.

_The name is quite pretty._

Junmyeon’s knuckles made contact with the wood surface and a thump resonated from whatever was hidden behind it.

“Sorry! Come in.”

As he stepped through the entryway, Junmyeon instantly saw a body sprawled out on the ground next to a bed. The glowing lamp nearby wobbled a bit, then settled. He rushed over to the man on the ground, worried about Yixing’s well-being despite not having ever met him.

“Master, are you alright?”

The male on the ground lifted his head, revealing a dimpled grin and lidded eyes, appearing a bit dazed.

“‘M fine. Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

He ruffled his own inky locks while getting to his feet, color matching that of Junmyeon’s own.

“Breakfast?”, the royal inquired while brushing himself off. Junmyeon flinched as Yixing went on to brush the elder off as well, hands sweeping over the bare skin of his torso. Seemingly entranced, the dimpled-man traced the contours of muscle as well, and Junmyeon flushed.

“Yes, master. You need to be down by seven-thirty.” A pause.

“Master?”

“Mhm?”

“Shouldn’t you start getting ready?”

“Mmm…yes.”

A finger trailed down prominent abs prior to poking Junmyeon’s strange bellybutton. A squeal escaped from his throat, and his whole body stiffened. Yixing pulled back and giggled.

“‘S so cute! What a weird bellybutton!”

Somehow the slave blushed an even darker red, hands shooting out to shield his stomach.

“May I be dismissed?”

Beaming, the master gave a half-nod and ambled off to his on-suite bathroom. Junmyeon sped out and made his departure, catching the sound of melodious humming as it faded away.

  


The succeeding door was etched with letters that read ‘Byun Baekhyun’. For some reason, the slave felt an unsettling aura emanate from it. A warning, maybe. Ignoring his instincts, he rapped on the door and waited diligently for an answer. It opened, and Junmyeon instantly had the urge to recoil.

Byun Baekhyun was the pervert from yesterday evening. 

He should’ve heeded his instincts. He could get away now, right? However, before he could step away, the puppy-eyed man eyed his topless state and smirked mischievously. Seizing his wrist, Baekhyun pulled the raven inside while slamming the door shut. The younger manhandled the elder and pinned him to his bed as he struggled to no avail. Caging Junmyeon between his arms, the beast loomed over the beauty sprawled out on the sheets. Centimeters apart, their breaths mingled, and the temperature of the room seemed to rise. Junmyeon began to panic. _Fuck._  Licking his lips, the royal smirked again.

“Ready to have some fun?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waaahhhh, it's done. x o x Even though this chapter is much shorter than the first, it took so much longer to write! D: Sorry about that guys. (Hopefully the flow isn't too awkward as well. x-x) Also, I've been thinking lately: would you guys prefer shorter chapters? Like in between 2k-3k? (this chap was about 4k) I know some people may not like such long chapters, and if you are one of those people, please do let me know in the comments about your opinion on the matter. Same for those who like the long chapters. ^ o ^ Also, a huge thank you to Nadia3618, aspiringdrugaddictt, Angel1, monwonpanda, shinjiah, sailorstal, red_white_roses, StuckOnIdeas4PenNames, zastrogat, kiannalovesniall, LILO_STACKSON, BookwormRina, MitchMatchedSocks, Sasymandy, Spikelander, and Baechurros, and the 14 guests who left kudos! Lots of love! <3
> 
> Edit: Forgot to thank the for people who bookmarked as well. x A x Sorry! Anyway, a huge thanks to Angel1, sailorstal, kiannalovesniall, and Stinne98 for bookmarking this fic. c: I really appreciate it!


	3. three: uncertain chance

Everything seemed to blur together: the tilt of Baekhyun’s brows, his sultry, lidded eyes, and the small smirk that appeared on his face before he nibbled down the pale column of Junmyeon’s neck.

In all honestly, the pale-skinned male was extremely confused. When he was pulled into his master’s bedroom and laid across crimson sheets, he was expecting a cock to be shoved down his throat or pounded relentlessly into his ass, yet here he was being the one pleasured as he moaned and writhed with his hand covering his mouth.

The slave mewled as the younger’s hand quickly stroked his hardened member, thumbing the leaking slit. A mouth paved its path down Junmyeon’s milky torso, leaving tiny red marks behind in its wake.

It had been so long since the last time Junmyeon had touched himself, he wasn’t allowed to at the slave factory. Being quite young, it was a bit frustrating when he had to satisfy his needs, but after a long while of learning how to suppress his urges, it became fairly simple. It was even easier when the despicable men ‘training’ him were usually old men looking for a bit of their own release after a long day of running the sick establishment. They were all appalling, and frankly, if Junmyeon needed to will his impulse away, just the thought of those aged bastards was enough.

However, since it had been so long, it seemed as if every sensation Junmyeon felt at the moment was multiplied tenfold. He whined as Baekhyun sped up the pace, whispering into the elder's ear and rutting against his puckered hole. The angry red tip of the royal’s length caught on the twitching rim, causing him to let out a groan.

“You’re such a good little slave, aren’t you? So good for your master.”

Junmyeon whimpered a bit, eyes tearing and lips pursing. A part of him wanted to shove the royal off of him, but the hand on his length and the other pinching his sensitive pink nubs left him boneless on the mattress.

“Master would love to play with you a little longer, but it’s almost time for us to get ready for breakfast, and we can’t be late.”

With the last twist of Baekhyun’s wrist, Junmyeon let out a melodic cry. His back arched beautifully as he came into the younger’s hand, trembling while he came down from his climax. Biting his watermelon-colored lips, the raven breathed heavily, feeling too foggy to get back up and finish his job. Tingling tendrils of bliss crept throughout his body, and Junmyeon was fully enjoying the post-orgasmic state he was in. His damp lashes fluttered lazily as a timbre voice registered itself in his mind.

“Wasn’t your master good to you, slave?”

Sensual dark eyes stared back down at the pale beauty along with the smug curl of coral lips. Junmyeon only moaned airily in response. A smack echoed throughout the room as a pretty hand met with the curve of the slave’s rounded globes, leaving behind a faint red mark on porcelain skin.

“Won’t you answer me properly, little slut?”

“Yes, yes- master was so good to me-”

The elder was cut off by a pair of lips against his, and his eyes shot wide open in shock. Pulling away with a smile, Baekhyun patted the other’s butt gently before lifting himself up and giving Junmyeon some space. As Junmyeon gathered his senses and sat up, he was graced with the view of Baekhyun’s long member still standing tall and leaking precum against his chiseled stomach. He didn’t quite like the coffee-haired male all that much, but he did feel a tiny bit bad about the fact that the other had been focused more on Junmyeon than himself.

“Um… master?”

Baekhyun cocked an inquisitive brow and added a mischievous lilt to his grin.

“Yes?”

Junmyeon was pretty sure he’d regret this later on, but it was a part of his responsibility as a slave, right? Perhaps all that ‘training’ had really gotten to him.

“W-would master like some help with…”

Gesturing to Baekhyun’s length, his cheeks turned somewhat rosy. _What the hell, Junmyeon? It’s not as if you’ve never seen a dick before._

The puppy-eyed man chuckled a bit prior to sliding off the bed and pulling on some pants, boner still apparent under the tent in the cloth.

“It’s okay, I can get it down on my own. You have other things you need to attend to, don’t you?”

Swiftly, he dressed the stunned slave and manhandled him back to the entrance. He then flicked open the lock with ease and pushed Junmyeon outside. With a cheeky wink, he eyed the blooming marks that littered the raven’s chest.

“Might want to get something to cover those up as well; we can have some more fun later~”

Lingering at the entryway for a bit, he gave a flippant wave before he shut the door and disappeared. Junmyeon glanced down at his torso and internally grumbled. He didn’t have the time to go and get anything to conceal the markings, and he still had several more masters to attend to. This was sure to be embarrassing. _Curse Byun Baekhyun and his handsome face._

  
  


The pale male’s legs wobbled a bit as he headed off to wake the next master. He hadn’t entirely recovered yet; it must have been a lot longer since the last time he relieved himself than he thought. Three knocks resounded through the hall. Kim Jongdae’s door opened and the slave was greeted with a kittenish smile and seemingly all-knowing eyes.

“So Baekhyun got to you already, huh? The sly dog.”

He leaned against the doorway and began to gesticulate in a lively manner.

“It’s alright, at least half of the people working here have been Baekhyun’s poor toy at some point. He’ll leave you alone after a few days. No biggie.”

Not knowing how to respond, Junmyeon simply nodded. A pause followed. Jongdae cocked an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth lifted in amusement.

“So…?”

Eyes widening comically, the raven hastily stuttered a reply.

“Pl-please be down for breakfast by seven-thirty.”

_Why do I do this to myself?_

“Alright.”

Another pause. _Did I do something wrong?_ Looking at the expression on his face, it seemed as if the Jongdae was expecting something more. This assumption was confirmed when the other proceeded to break the uncomfortable silence.

“Well…?”

“Um- is there something else you need, master?”

Jongdae proceeded made a childish kissy face while pointing to his cheek and fluttering his lashes cutely.

“Don’t I get a good morning kiss from my darling?”

Junmyeon blinked in confusion. Jongdae began to poke furiously at his face, unyieldingly staring at the slave with mirth.

“Come on now. There’s no need to be shy~”

Reluctantly, Junmyeon stepped forward and landed a quick peck on the noble’s cheek. He then swiftly retreated and shuffled around a bit, gaze shifting from side to side, a tiny bit embarrassed at the action he had just performed. Jongdae smiled brightly and laughed, slightly hunched over.

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it! Although, I’m not really sure what else I was expecting from you anyway. Well, whatever.”

He finished off the sentence with a shrug.

“Anyway, I probably should go get ready now. You probably should go now too and do- well- whatever you were doing. See ya!”

Scrunching up his eyes charmingly, Jongdae slunk back into his room and closed the door.

 _Not sure how I feel about him… onto the next one, I guess._ The slave splayed his fingers across his chest in an attempt to conceal the hickeys before moving on; he was sure that was what gave him away previously. _Would this help?_ Again he glanced down, this time letting out an audible sigh. _Probably not. Oh well._

  
  


‘Park Chanyeol’ was the name carved into the neighboring room’s door. Junmyeon’s knuckles were about to make contact with the piece of wood before it was flung open and a tall man with red hair stumbled forward and plowed into the unsuspecting petite male.

“Ah- shit- fuck- sorry.”

What the raven assumed to be Chanyeol propped himself up by his arms, but just as he was getting up, he froze. Squinting, the giant scrutinized the male below him. Unable to do anything without potentially tarnishing his facade, Junmyeon just returned the gaze. However, despite appearing calm on the outside, the slave was panicking inside. _This guy is the guy who saw me this morning! Please don’t recognize me, oh my god-_

“Were you that person wandering around at like... three this morning?”

_Fuck, he remembers-_

“I mean- you kind of look like that person, but kind of different? It might have just been the atmosphere- they kind of looked like some sort of angel with all the moonlight and shit and- why am I even telling you this?”

Shifting his weight onto one arm, Chanyeol dragged a palm down his face prior to sitting up and leaning back on his thighs. Straddling the elder, he proceeded to ask the question a second time.

“Anyway, were you? That person, I mean.”

“Um-”, Junmyeon replied, “no I was not, master.” He turned his head to the side and focused his vision on the window at the end of the hall. _Don’t ask me anything else, please._ The weight on Junmyeon vanished and a pair of feet came into view.

“Whatever, not a big deal. I need to get to Minseok before he starts fucking yelling at me again for being irresponsible,” the royal sighed as he rose to his feet. Lanky legs began to dash down the corridor, and Junmyeon stood up to run after the tall man. He hadn’t informed him about breakfast yet.

“Ah- wait, Master Chanyeol!”

Chanyeol spun around with the grace of a giraffe, his arms flailing and knees bumping.

“What?”, he bellowed out.

The small male slowed and came to a stop.

“Breakfast is at seven-thirty! Please be down by then, master.”

After a grunt of acknowledgment, Chanyeol took a few steps forward and yanked one of the many doors lining the hallway open.

“Hey, Min-hyung!”

He invited himself into his brother’s chamber, much to the latter’s despair.

“What are you doing, Chanyeol?!”

The rest of the conversation was too muted for Junmyeon to hear.

  
  


Down the opposite end of the hall another door opened as the raven whirled around. An intimidating tan noble glared at him with tired eyes from behind it. It was as if he hadn’t slept for days, and Junmyeon (or Chanyeol, really) just woke him from his long-awaited nap. The dark under-eye circles the other sported seemed to prove this theory.

“What’s with the noise?”

Junmyeon figuratively gulped. With a small bow, he then responded to the question.

“Ah, sorry to disturb you, master. It was just Master Chanyeol doing…” What was he doing exactly? “..something.”

Platinum blonde bangs flopped across piercing eyes as the woken man nodded. Whomever this person was appeared to be used to Chanyeol’s antics.

“So, you’re the new slave?”

“Yes, master.”

“Hmm… father chose well,” the royal replied, eyes raking down the pale male’s body appreciatively. They appeared to pause at the sight of the red marks all over his milky torso, and Junmyeon felt his cheeks heat up. Reverting his gaze back to the slave’s face, the stranger continued to ask another question.

“Anyway, I presume you came up to wake us for breakfast?”

“Yes, master.”

“Alright, I’ll head down in a bit.”

He slipped back into his room, but then suddenly popped out once again.

“Would you ask them to serve some star fruit for breakfast when you get the chance? Or maybe rambutan. I’ve been craving some since the moment I was rudely awakened.”

At the word ‘rudely’, he sent a pointed look towards Chanyeol’s general direction (or was it directed at Junmyeon? The raven didn’t quite know.) Slightly puzzled regarding the target of the stranger’s displeasure, Junmyeon only timidly answered with a quiet ‘As you wish, master.’ The other hummed in satisfaction and finally went back into his chamber. From the distance, the slave could read that the royal’s door read ‘Huang Zitao’ and mentally checked off his list of masters. _Okay, master number eight is done. Two left to go. And remember to request star fruit or rambutan. Star fruit or rambutan. Maybe both would be better?_

 

 

Across the passageway was a ‘Do Kyungsoo’. Junmyeon started to rap on the door, and as he did so, an ache in his back made itself apparent. _Must have been from when Chanyeol fell on top of me. It’s definitely going to bruise... These are going to be a painful few weeks._

“Um, hello?”

Startled out of his thoughts, Junmyeon looked up to see a wide-eyed boy staring at him unwaveringly. Thick brows furrowed somewhat as Kyungsoo waited for a reply.

“Ah- please be down for breakfast by seven-thirty.”

“Okay.”

The entryway closed as promptly as it opened. _At least that was quick and easy._

  
  


Making his way to the last master’s chamber, Junmyeon made sure to skip Kim Jongin’s and Huang Zitao’s rooms. He didn’t want to bother either of them twice, and he didn’t want to waste any time either. How much time did he have left anyway? An hour?

His feet lead him to the last door in the hallway, the first one he had come across: Oh Sehun’s. Junmyeon was relieved that he was almost done with his first ‘task’ or whatever one would prefer to call it. After this, he could use his spare time figure out a bit more about this estate. Learning more about how everything worked here would be key if Junmyeon was going to escape. But then he mentally facepalmed himself. He forgot about the siblings’ profiles he had to study ( _would there be a point?_ ) and the celebration he had to help with. What was the celebration even for? That was something he’d have to ask when he was able to.

Three knocks echoed through the empty passage. Only an indistinct grunt could be heard from behind the door. The petite male sighed. In order to get this done and over with, Junmyeon gripped the knob and twisted the entrance open. Regret immediately overwhelmed him. He now understood why Sehun didn’t necessarily give a proper response.

Lying in the center of a bed above white linens was Sehun.

Sehun masturbating.

“What the hell?!”

The younger immediately shot up and tried to hide his penis, but Junmyeon had already seen everything, and strangely, the only thing currently on his mind was _holy Jesus this guy was huge. Um…_

“Breakfast! Seven-thirty!”

And with that, the elder made a hasty exit. He didn’t even bother to give a polite farewell, but he didn’t think Sehun would care about it all that much after what had just occurred.

  
  


Junmyeon wondered if he had contracted some sort of illness when he first entered the mansion. Ever since he had found himself living here, he had been prone to blushing a whole lot more. Like now. His face was bursting red as he sprinted back to his own quarters, and it wasn’t due to overexertion. And frankly, he didn’t understand why either. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had any sexual encounters before (those days spent in training should be enough proof of that), but perhaps it was different now that the people he was having them with were infinitely more good looking. Patting his cheeks in reprimand, he soon entered his own chamber and flung himself onto his bed. _Pull yourself together and be productive._

With a disgruntled cry, he pulled his aching body up and grabbed the files he was supposed to examine thoroughly. The more he could please his masters, the more freedom he’d be given, and everything else would come easily after that, right? Junmyeon flopped onto the bed again. Positioning himself comfortably under the blankets, he began to read over the masses of papers he’d scattered around.

_Lu Han, the second eldest of eleven siblings, was born on April 20th in the year of…_

He paused to take a glance at the clock ( _it’s six fifty-eight_ ) prior to continuing his reading.

_...was born on April 20th in the year of…_

 

When Junmyeon finished Lu Han’s file, it was already about seven twenty. The slave hadn’t been expecting for there to be so much information to soak in. Small, insignificant facts were crammed into every single empty space of the thirty pages he had just gone through in minuscule text, and Junmyeon wasn’t sure if he could power through another thirty pages of this. Muddled and exhausted, he didn’t even think he could make it through a stifled meal alongside eleven people he barely knew. Despite his less-than-optimal state, the raven dragged himself over to the entryway prior to letting himself out. He was obligated to do this as a part of his job. After all, this was the life of a slave, and as of now, Junmyeon could do nothing but accept it.

Trudging through the halls of black and white, he started unconsciously humming to himself. It was a tune from his childhood days, long before he was thrown into this pitiful life. His mother would sing it to him day and night, even when he was cloaked in navy and bore the silver symbol of someone attending high school.

 

_You can pass me by_

_Because you forgot about me_

_Until you remember_

_I will wait for you_

 

Curious as he was, Junmyeon would often inquire the whereabouts of the song his mother crooned every day. Whenever he did, she’d just smile as she carried on whatever she was cleaning or cooking, telling her son about his father that had died years ago when he was too young to recall.

 

_“He was handsome- the most handsome man that could have ever possibly existed. He’s probably where you got all your good-looking genes from as well.”_

_“But you’re really pretty too, mommy! I think I want to be pretty like you when I get older.”_

_A soft chuckle. A strike on the door._

_“No, honey. Boys like you should want to be strong and handsome when they grow up! Not pretty. After all, don't you want to protect mommy from all those bad guys?”_

_“_ Of course _I do! I’m a good boy! But isn’t being pretty a good thing? All the pretty girls at elementary school get presents from the boys. I want presents too!”_

_An angelic laugh. A strike on the door._

_“Yes, they do get lots of presents, but people often bother them and don’t leave them alone. Sometimes people even hurt them and take advantage of them, just because they’re pretty! You don’t want that, do you?”_

_“No! I don’t like being hurt.”_

_“Then try not to be like mommy when you grow up, okay?”_

_“...okay.”_

_Two heavy strikes on the flimsy, wooden door._

_“I’m coming! Stay here, Junmyeon.”_

 

His mother was indeed a beautiful woman, gorgeous even. That’s why she always had those men in the house: perpetually laughing with them, conversing with them, flirting with them. Junmyeon hated it. He could see the hint of distaste in her eyes whenever she forced a cute giggle out of her mouth. He could see how she flinched ever so slightly at the touch of grimy hands. But what he hated the most was the screams and shrieks and the moans and grunts he heard coming from upstairs whenever his mother still thought he was at school studying away. He always locked himself up in his room on nights like those, head squished under a pillow and body trembling with tears. The next morning his mother would never fail to greet him with the fakest smile he’d ever seen, as if smiling could erase the memories of those grueling, hellish nights and make it as if they had never happened.

Junmyeon knew that she only did it for him. To get an education and become a famous scholar: that was the future that the woman had envisioned for her child since the moment he was birthed into the world, but here he was, walking these luxurious corridors as a slave instead. It would do him no good to linger on the past, however. _Keep moving forward._

 

 

The raven reached the bottom of the black granite steps and searched for the canteen. He was told it was on the bottom floor of the mansion, but he had no clue as to where its exact location was. Peeking around the foyer, Junmyeon wondered if he should go and seek Kyuhyun for some assistance. Prior to making his decision, a hand settled itself on his shoulder.

“New guy, right?”

A large figure draped his arm over the petite male and engulfed the smaller in his muscular build. Bewildered, Junmyeon simply squeaked. Flourishing a grin like sunshine, the stranger happily introduced himself.

“The name’s Minho: The Guy with Flaming Charisma~”

He wiggled his fingers weirdly as he said the last word.

“Kyuhyun told me you’d need someone to show you the ropes, so here I am! To the rescue!”

Tugging the slave after him, Minho chattered about some of more basic rules and facts of the mansion that Kyuhyun hadn’t told Junmyeon about when he first came here. However, everything just went from one ear and out the other as he memorized the path taken to get to the servants’ cafeteria, glancing everywhere and noting details. Large _painting of family. More paintings of each individual brother. Giant window to a view of a swan-shaped hedge._

“Anyway, here we are! The servants’ cafeteria!”

Minho pushed open a large mahogany set of doors to reveal an expansive space filled with cherrywood tables and matching plain benches aligned along their sides. Bustling workers flitted around carrying trays of food. Junmyeon spotted some bowls filled with gruel or soup and plates piled with various forms of potatoes: mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and even some unusual potato cake things. Placed next to them was a roll of bread and a mystery meat Junmyeon was unable to identify. Lastly, to top it all off, each meal came with a fruit and a glass of water. A privileged few even had a tiny pastry to complete their breakfast. All in all, it wasn’t too bad. The breakfast Junmyeon was used to solely consisted of foods to build muscle and shape a good body. Tofu practically was ninety-percent of his old diet.

“You can line up there to get your food, and when you’re done, come back here so I can take you to the masters’ dining room. It’s super easy to find- super fancy as well. I honestly don’t know how they could eat in a place like that, I’d feel uncomfortable, but I’m getting off topic here. Just go get your food and come back.”

The taller pushed Junmyeon forwards with a few pats to his bum and shot brazen finger guns when the latter spun around in surprise. Pouting, the pale male headed forward, ignoring the other’s cheeky gestures. He lined up behind a woman gossiping with another woman in front of her.

“Did you hear about the new slave?”

“I heard he was really expensive. From all the rumors floating around, he’s apparently supposed to be the best at what he does. I don’t really believe that. He’s just got a pretty face.”

“Baekhyun’s gotten to him already! He mercilessly dumped poor Taeyeon yesterday, the ungrateful heathen. She really liked him a lot, you know? It might have even been love, but who knows? She never really spoke to me about her love interests.”

“She kind of deserved it, though, don’t you think? Baekhyun’s reputation among everyone should have been some sort of indication that it wouldn’t work out between them. Besides, why would a noble want to get serious with a peasant? It just wouldn’t make any sense.”

“That’s true, but would it hurt for a maiden in love to hope a little? Haven’t you heard of those romantic stories about princes falling for regular ol’ town girls?”

Shuffling along the line, Junmyeon continued to eavesdrop as he acquired a metal tray. The ladies across the counter promptly slapped food onto it as they moved him down the course.

“But those are like, ethereally gorgeous girls; they’re not just ‘regular’. Plus, sometimes I feel like Baekhyun is more into men.”

“Taeyeon is quite the beauty as well, isn’t she? I think she could beat out a man any day.”

“Well, yes- but so was Seungwan and Suji and pretty much everyone else Baekhyun laid his hands on.”

The pair walked away after they received their meal portions, voices fading and melding into the loud chitchat of the canteen. Junmyeon returned to Minho with his tray full of food and smiled. The younger returned the action cheerfully.

“Let’s go!”

 

 

Junmyeon and Minho now stood in front of another grand pair of mahogany doors, this one lavishly embellished in gold and silver with images telling of a tale the elder did not recognize. The large-eyed servant beat the exemplary piece of craftsmanship and, when it unlocked, ushered the pale slave into the dining room beyond.

“Best of luck! It might get awkward, but you have to persevere! See you later~”

Winking and shooting off more cringe-worthy finger guns, he went on his way, abandoning Junmyeon. Luckily, the extravagant space was currently unoccupied by anyone, the masters probably still getting ready or coming down in several minutes. There was only a single servant in the room, standing at attention in the corner.

“Um, excuse me, sir?”

He instantly approached Junmyeon wearing a stoic face.

“Yes?”

“Master...” _Who was it again? Ah._  “Zitao requested some star fruit or rambutan for breakfast.”

The servant nodded. He had begun to turn away, but then glanced at the still-standing slave. Creeping up to Junmyeon once again, he whispered into the other’s ear.

“Say, you seem like you’re planning on getting out of here sometime in the future. Do you want to know how to escape?”

Junmyeon gasped. _How did he know?_ He looked up at the servant for a clue or sign about how much he truly was aware of, but the blue-eyed male remained perfectly unreadable. Junmyeon thought that he had hidden his intentions fairly well, but it seemed that was not the case. _What should I do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been so long! D: I hope you guys are happy to see this update! ^o^ I know I’m happy that I finally got it done. x w x (I also hope that my fail attempt at smut wasn't too bad ;-; All I know about boy x boy sex is through what I've read, lol. Still a virgin too. >.>; I'm working on improving the smut+writing in general, though, don't worry.) Thank you to happy_thoughts, Kishbe, Zeena, Tamburlaine, feelings, KillerKaneki, Mizaki, blackqueencleopatra, noodlemyeon, spongedweeb, ultseokjin, Pabo_nabi, Suhoshi, shizu (h20sexual), onelastchence, suhorian, and the 21 guests who left kudos! I really appreciate it. :3 Also, lots of love to Spikelander, Nadia3618, Zeena, Connie_who, and neverananghel for bookmarking as well.


	4. four: breakfast game

He hadn’t even been living at this estate for a day yet, and things appeared to have already gone wrong. _Sigh._ Junmyeon cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“Excuse me?”

Warm, golden sunlight bathed the two figures standing among walls covered in patterned white wallpaper.  The one with sapphire eyes merely blinked before giving his response.

“I asked you a fairly simple question: Do you want to know how to escape?”

Junmyeon was struggling to keep a neutral expression on his face. Involuntarily, his right eye twitched. He was surely exposed now. _Is this some sort of test?_

“I apologize, sir. As a slave, I am absolutely loyal to my masters; I’m afraid I have to reject your offer.”

The servant’s unfazed manner cracked with the barely noticeable curl of his lips and the slight arch of his brow.

“Frankly, I believe that you and I both know you’re lying.”

Before anything else could be said, the entrance to the dining hall opened as an owl-eyed male entered silently. The newcomer gave a curious glance to the pair, but simply dismissed the two and seated himself at the ebony table in the center of the space, sinking into the plush red fabric of the chair beneath him. _Do Kyungsoo_ was Junmyeon’s immediate thought, having remembered the other’s name. _It’s progress, but back to the matter at hand._ Returning his attention to the servant, he was puzzled when the man suddenly gave a slight nod and an ‘I’ll get it right away’ prior to making his exit.

Junmyeon let out an inaudible breath of relief as he made his way to Kyungsoo. At least that ordeal was over now, but it’s something that he’d have to take care of later.

“Is there anything you’d like, master?”

The master blankly looked up at the other, having torn his gaze away from whatever was outside of the window.

“No. I’m fine.”

Fixing his vision upon a pair of birds flitting about in the garden, he merely sat still, appearing to be deep in contemplation. The atmosphere soon became increasingly awkward as Junmyeon stood silently next to Kyungsoo’s chair. He wasn’t sure if he could sit down or pace around without reprimand, so that left him with the only option of standing. Shifting his feet a little, the raven wondered if Kyungsoo minded the strange ambiance suffocating the room. That wasn’t the case, however, as Kyungsoo didn’t seem to want to break the silence anyway.

Fortunately, a pair of people burst into the dining area, effectively dispelling any quiet that had settled itself in the space. _Lu Han and … Oh Sehun… oh._

“Good morning, Kyungsoo and, uh- not to seem rude or anything, but what’s your name?”

Junmyeon was shocked at the respect he was being given despite his status. _Would anything a master said to their slave be considered rude in the first place?_

“My name is Suho, master.”

“Well then, good morning Suho,” the elder repeated with a smile.

After the unconventional greeting, Lu Han gave a little wave prior to dragging Sehun to the opposite side of the table and taking a seat. Catching the slave’s eyes on him, Sehun stiffly strode to his place next to the doe-eyed boy. Junmyeon froze up a bit at the sight of the lean male, remembering of the embarrassing encounter that had occurred previously this morning. Pink dusted his cheeks as he stared at the glossy floor tiles beneath him.

Now with two more people in the room, quiet conversation easily filled the air. Most of it, however, was exchanged between Lu Han and Sehun. They appeared to be very close- almost like actual siblings. They happened to look the part as well. And every once in awhile, Junmyeon would catch Sehun glancing at him, but as if trying to hide that he was doing so, he’d rapidly rip away his gaze. Perhaps what had happened this morning had crossed his mind a few times.

  


Soon enough, the rest of the brothers filed in, each taking their respective places at the table. Noise completely permeated the space, full of varying conversations between men. Junmyeon, still having absolutely no clue where he should go, proceeded to merely settle himself on the ground in a corner. A hand shot out, halting the raven in his movements as it grabbed his thigh. Startled, Junmyeon nearly dropped his tray on the ground, but he somehow managed to maintain his composure and evade disaster. Turning around, he was met with Yixing and the inscrutable expression he had plastered on his face. The royal patted his own thigh expectantly, vision trained on a flustered Junmyeon. _Is he…?_

“I- I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what you’re asking of me, Master Yixing.”

Snickers could be heard from various different persons around the room; some ignored the scene and continued to chat with one another. One had the audacity to wolf whistle, causing Junmyeon to shrink in discomfort. He wondered what he had done to deserve being forced into enslavement and concluded that the world was indeed unfair.

Patting his thigh once again, Yixing wordlessly beckoned the beauty to sit on his leg, and the latter had no choice but to oblige. Needless to say, the experience was extremely uncomfortable for Junmyeon, and he knew that he’d be spending most of his breakfast wanting to crawl into a hole and disappear for eternity. Yixing, however, appeared to be quite satisfied with a self-fulfilled smile on his face. Ignoring the petite male’s occasional adjustments in position, the younger resumed his conversation in a different language with a thick-browed man beside him. Junmyeon didn’t recognize the other from his assignment this morning, so he assumed that this intimidating figure was Wu Yifan. From just his outward image, Yifan didn’t give the impression of being the type who cared about beauty sleep, but as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.

As for Junmyeon himself, he was still carrying the tray, trying to hold it above the arrangement of dinnerware in front of him as to avoid disturbing it. Sporadic glances were thrown his way every once in awhile, yet he paid no heed to them. _I must look really weird right now, but it’s okay, it’s okay. This will probably be a one-time thing. Once I get out of here, I won’t have to worry about things like this anymore._

Amongst all the chit-chat, the sound of the entrance to the kitchen being opened immediately caused everyone to quiet down. Carts full of serving platters were rolled out to the hungry men, their sights eagerly trained on the food. The slave could only stare ahead with the tray in his hands as much as he- out of curiosity- wanted to view the dishes being served.

Aromas of delectable delicacies floated through the air, effectively triggering Junmyeon’s appetite and causing him to slightly salivate. Stimulating scents of spices and savory scents of meats indicated the extravagance of the course. Even the faint, sweet smells of cinnamon and fruit lingered in the background. There must have been an entire feast being served for the first meal of the day! Admittedly, the raven was fairly envious of the brothers, staring at his own meager pickings. It was at that moment that he felt the piece of metal being removed from his possession and placed gingerly onto the floor.

“That can be taken care of later, I wanna feed you.”

At those words, Junmyeon’s face immediately colored a bright red. _How could someone speak such things without cringing?_ Yixing lazily smiled at the small male in his lap as he pulled other in between his legs and wrapped his arms around the unsuspecting man’s waist. The sensation was a bit uncomfortable, and Junmyeon found that his insides were twisting and turning in apprehension. Unsure of where to settle his hands, he lay them on his knees.

Whenever he was touched, it was usually in a sexual manner (or at least in anticipation of something of that nature), so Junmyeon was sure that this couldn’t be simply platonic. If this form of contact was meant to be only friendly or affectionate, it was nothing like Solmi’s soothing fingers combing his unruly strands hair or Minjun’s bony limbs encasing him in loving embraces. Instead, these muscled arms enveloping his body made his skin burn and tingle and caused his heart to race just a tad bit quicker and Junmyeon just didn’t want to be here anymore.

“Having fun there, Yixing?” Baekhyun called from across the table, clearly amused at the situation.

Yixing rested his chin at the juncture of Junmyeon’s neck and shoulder, humming in satisfaction.

“He’s just so cute and soft~” he replies, swaying back and forth.

Cooks and servants from the kitchen started distributing ivory, porcelain plates and setting the silver serving platters upon each one in front of the now completely silent men. Simultaneously, each attendant lifted the covers off of the dishes and named them one by one. Most were fairly simple meals that Junmyeon was familiar with- french toast, omelets, waffles- but with garnishes or ingredients that were certainly a display of Lord Kim’s wealth. Some, however, would most likely be considered unusual for a breakfast: sushi, hamburgers- even pizza.

Yixing had been served an enormous stack of chocolate chip pancakes, a copious amount of dark chocolate sauce cascading over perfectly round edges and pooling on the plate. Strawberries artfully sliced to mimic the beauty of roses were arranged in a variety of colorful flowers and various other fruits on top of and around the base of the edible tower. Powdered sugar had been sprinkled on last to give an extra hint of sweetness.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

The same could be said for all of the foods being presented; the whole lot of them were embellished with lavish adornments and prepared with utmost craftsmanship. The meal was fit for a king, leading Junmyeon to wonder how much of an influence Lord Kim had in the court. After all, he must have been of exceptional importance to be able to procure such skilled staff and spoil in such pricey indulgences. The slave then began to ponder how his own cooking would sate his superior’s appetites.

“Please enjoy your meal, young masters.” a man in a pristine chef’s uniform announced, bowing with his hat in his hands. Assorted words of gratitude were said by the siblings before they dug in and resumed their chatter. A few, however, were entirely absorbed in eating. The chef proceeded to exit, and the rest of the workers promptly followed behind. Junmyeon peeked up at the line of people trailing out and caught the stare of the blue-eyed servant fixed upon him. Smirking knowingly, the liability sauntered off and vanished into the kitchen. Junmyeon suddenly had the inexplicable urge to storm out of there and confront the other, but he had to retain his submissive and demure image. Plus, he was still caged in another person’s arms. Well, at least one arm. The other had been removed when the pale male hadn’t been paying attention, proceeding to pluck a strawberry off of the pancakes.

“Open up!~”

Junmyeon’s mouth opened at the command, and he felt the tip of the fruit being shoved into his mouth. His teeth had already partially sunk into the flesh of the berry when Yixing instructed him to stop. Instantly, the smaller froze, looking up at his master with his eyes blown wide in confusion. Gripping Junmyeon’s chin, Yixing turned the slave’s head towards the figure in the neighboring seat.

“Isn’t he cute, Yifan?” Yixing giggles,”Look at his face. ‘S adorable! Like a rabbit.”

Yifan, who was in the middle of downing a large bite of peach cobbler, swallowed the bite with difficulty as he wiped a few crumbs off of his cheek, flicking them to the ground. His brows furrowed a bit as he replied, seemingly disgruntled at the fact he was interrupted while he was eating. Junmyeon blinked, unintentionally biting further into the red fruit between his lips. Juice ran down his chin, red against light skin.

“Yes, yes. He’s cute. Maybe even as cute as I am.” he speedily remarks. Noticing the drop rolling down the slave’s neck, he took his napkin and dabbed at the liquid.

“He has such nice skin too; I’d be a tragedy if it were damaged.”

Junmyeon didn’t think strawberry juice could have such an effect on a person’s skin, but he didn’t really mind the treatment. It was quite nice, really, being taken care of like this, even though the gesture was quite small. The feeling of cool fabric against his throat and chin disappeared, and Yifan returned to devouring chunks of peaches to quench his hunger.

Eyes crinkling warmly, Yixing pushed the bottom of Junmyeon’s jaw up, half of the strawberry tumbling out from his pink lips and into the royal’s palm. He then popped the half-eaten fruit into his mouth before grabbing his silverware and poking at the pile of hotcakes. At the first cut into the delicacy, a random fork came out of the blue, tearing out an uneven chunk of Yixing’s breakfast. Startled at the unmannerly action, Junmyeon internally gaped at the perpetrator, who was currently enjoying a delectable bite of chocolatey goodness. Pausing in his activity, Yixing pouted indignantly at a smug Chanyeol next to him.

“Chanyeol!~ Keep your hands away from my food!~” he whined petulantly, nuzzling deeper into Junmyeon’s nape.

The giant shrugged in dismissal, ripping out another piece of hotcake and skewering a slice of banana along with it.

“You want some, Zitao?” he asked, facing the tan male to his right.

“Chanyeol!” Yixing cried.

Zitao seemed to debate accepting the forkful, twirling around a rambutan with long fingers. But then- as Chanyeol had done- he merely shrugged and carried on with inhaling the morsel.

“You guys are heartless.” Yixing mumbles, breath fanning across the back of Junmyeon’s neck. Shivers ran down the tiny male’s spine.

  


After a few moments, leaning back in his chair, Chanyeol came to some sort of revelation, his limbs moderately flailing about. He immediately shot forward, alarming the majority of those perched around the perimeter of the table.

“I just remembered: isn’t the reason why this person-” he started as he gestured to Junmyeon, who was presently being fed a piece of pancake,”-is here with us today to get to know us or some shit? Like, becoming familiar with one another or something. I ran into butler-man earlier, and that’s what he told me.”

Minseok nodded in his seat at the head of the dining table.

“Indeed, that is something we must initiate at some point during our meal,” agreed Minseok.

Jongdae perked up at that, an idea appearing to have popped up in his brain. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he made a proposal to his brothers.

“Say, why don’t we make this ‘getting-to-know-one-another’ thing into a game?”

The chitchat quieted, everyone now attentively listening.

“Sounds interesting.” Baekhyun replied,”What kind of game are we talking about here?”

“Well-”

“I don’t really feel like playing a game,” Jongin interjected,”can’t I just eat?”

“Ah, come on Jongin-ah. Why don’t we just hear Jongdae out? I kinda wanna know what he’s thinking too.” Chanyeol’s deep voice bellowed.

“Technically, it’s Jongdae-hyung to you. I’m a month older than-”

“Shut the fuck up and get on with it.”

“Well, that’s kind of a contradicting statement-”

Minseok let out an exasperated sigh.

“You are fully aware of what Chanyeol intended the statement to mean.”

“Fine!” Jongdae huffed. “Anyways, here’s what I was thinking: you see Yixing over there? All smiley and cutesy and overall just unbearable to even look at?”

“Is that so wrong? I think it’s nice that Yixing is enjoying himself.” Lu Han defended. Sehun concurred.

“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with him being super giggly this morning, it’s just hard to look at.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Zitao chimed in. “Honestly, if it isn’t a good idea, I just want to eat too. I haven’t had rambutan in a while, so…”

Yifan halted in his drinking of milk.

“I also want to be able to eat in peace for my training after this. How else will I have the energy to preserve my amazing body and swordsmanship?”

He said it as if it was the most obvious matter of importance at the moment, not failing to boast about his physique and skills as well. Junmyeon began to bubble up with annoyance, right eye twitching irritably. It reminded him so much of Yejun who never failed to go around to anyone he met and brag about his own non-existent accomplishments. He despised Yejun.

A beat passed, and Jongin stopped devouring his drumstick as well.

“Like I said: can’t we just enjoy our breakfast?”

Baekhyun lifted his feet to rest upon the table, careful to avoid slamming them right into some food but causing the piece of wood to rattle all the same. He draped one arm over the left arm of his chair and used the other to prop his head up against the right.

“Let’s all just be good little boys now and listen. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover that you are quite fond of the proposition Jongdae has to make. Now, let’s be quiet, hm?”

For some reason this seemed to silence the entirety of the siblings, befuddling Junmyeon a bit. _Why would they listen to him of all people?_

“Ahem, as I was saying…”

  


Hardly any minutes elapsed, and the slave- for perhaps the hundredth time in his life- wanted to die. Or have never existed. That would have been really nice, but he didn’t really have a choice in that affair. Instead, he was here with drips of chocolate sauce dribbling down his neck as a tongue forced itself into his mouth, another lapping up the liquid traveling down his throat.

One would have expected that Junmyeon- since he had been trained for years in anticipation of occurrences such as this- would have come to accept such a fate by now. In fact, he had also thought that at some point he’d become immune to the treatment he received as a plaything.

As a pretty face to buy.

As a trophy to show off.

As a hole to shove a cock into.

But for some reason, though he had gone through the motions of becoming broken into the “perfect slave”, a part of him believed that he still had control over his own life and his own destiny. Even if he was taught to give up his everything for his master, a part of him still believed that he didn’t have to give up his mind and will.

However, the other part of him speculated the possibility that he was only fooling himself, that he had already given up these last few things a long time ago.

So, he closed his eyes and tried his very best to disregard the game carrying way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! I had this chapter posted on AFF awhile ago, but I just had the time to reformat it for AO3. xc I'm also sorry for the long wait, the past few weeks have just been full of exams and projects, so I've been trying my best to write this story whenever I can (I even wrote some during classes, terrified of someone coming up behind me and reading it, lol). However, I will admit I was slacking a bit the past week. I recently downloaded Mystic Messenger, and I am ADDICTED. ;-; So I apologize for the short chapter; I would've written more, but I know you guys have been waiting so long. T-T 
> 
> Thank you to Wolfriver, lokisbestie, cupcakesforme, yixingus, violaistmia, katjz, sympathique, explcit, tetsvrous, What_a_seiko, martisew, coffeenbooks and the 22 guests who left kudos! I really appreciate it, guys. cx And we've broken the 100 kudos mark, woot woot (woot woot, firetruck)! Huge thanks for all the support everyone, and as always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^ o ^


	5. five: festive preparations

There was some wolf-whistling and hollering, but most of the royals sat silently and enjoyed the show.

The two men defiling Junmyeon were slaves like him, but bigger in stature and built to fit _different_ needs. Things that dealt with heavy lifting and muscle work; things like dominating pretty women and pretty men so their masters could get a good show out of it.

Junmyeon doesn’t blame these two men for the harassment he currently had to endure. They were simply taking orders and carrying them out- only the unfortunate victim had to be him. Instead of dwelling on the situation at hand too much, the raven lets his mind wander a bit. He ponders many ifs and maybes, ideas and thoughts about how _maybe these men are the estate’s guards, and he was just blessed by some deity above to have not been captured by them last night or how this really isn’t a game at all, I don’t really understand._

What was Jongdae’s proposal? Get some servants to debauch their personal slave. Rules? Only one: if you get aroused, don’t touch yourself. Incentive? If you are deemed the victor, you have free reign over the ocean of food and are free to distribute it to the other’s as you wish. Of course, it was unlikely that any of them would be titillated by the scene before them, hardened under countless years of courses for proper behavior and how to handle certain situations.

Junmyeon almost wants to laugh; it’s scary how similar he and his masters are, the sole quality that set them apart being their social class. In the end, they’re all dogs strapped to the end of shiny steel chains, strutted around for display by the dozens of faceless superiors who hold those links tightly in their hands. Some are just pampered a little more, sparkling diamonds studding the collars suffocating their necks.

Hands danced along his bare sides, tracing the faint ridges of his ribs. There’s the brief sensation of being lifted up and placed on someone’s lap, his mouth freed for a few seconds, leaving behind a thin strand of saliva, tinted brown from chocolate, that connected him to a stranger. _At least this person is fairly attractive._

Anyway, the ‘prize’, one could call it, was practically worthless as well. It’d be fun to have your brother’s kissing the tips of your toes for a bite of breakfast they’d been eyeing, but such an image would only be one trapped in your head. After all, there were servants at their beck and call and chefs that spent their whole days in the kitchens, anticipating any spontaneous menu requests. Getting any delicacy with a mere snap of fingers would have not been an exaggeration for the siblings.

So why agree to participating in such a ‘game’? Well, some of the brothers didn’t accede to the request, but those who did were searching for a single thing: entertainment. Deep in their cores, they were all bored boys desperate for something _new_ or _interesting_ in their formulaic lives, and Junmyeon was the easy fix, unfamiliar and foreign to everyone. The food didn’t matter, and neither did the sexual pleasure, only the necessity of _different_. At least, that was what he believed.

Sympathy. Was that a fraction of what Junmyeon was feeling right now? Wait, was he _justifying_ this treatment?

One anonymous male licked a tender spot under his ear and Junmyeon shivered, barely able to hold back a moan. Baekhyun seemed to have taken note of this from across the table, his smirk having grown. Perhaps he was convinced that the raven had been reminded of this morning, spread and trembling across his silken sheets, playing the part of the flawless product he was expected to be. Unfortunately, his mind was mulling over other imminent situations, like how far this ‘game’ was going to go.

Was this to be the end of his hard-kept chastity?

If he was going to lose his virginity, he would rather give it to a master than some nameless servant. He was kidnapped from his former life, trained day and night, tortured at the whimsical wills of old men to please his future elite master, not some other lowlife like him. His throat constricted and his eyes watered. Maybe he was more corrupt than he thought.

_My name is Junmyeon, not Suho._

_I am a promising student working to be a scholar, not some filthy object to be passed around as desired._

_What they taught me in there will not dictate my thought and action- only my free will._

_I am Junmyeon, and I get to decide for myself._

Right?

Tugs at the waistband of his trousers pulled him out of his trance. There were no more lips on his neck or tongues down his throat, having relocated to his bottom half. Cool air hit his bare skin, goosebumps rising as muscles tense. He was naked save for the thin underwear that concealed his most important parts. Two sturdy arms confined his own limbs, and his legs were forcefully extended high, showcasing his unusual flexibility. An infuriating whistle acknowledged that fact.

Like this morning, Junmyeon badly wished to shove these to strangers off of him, but he didn’t do anything- couldn’t do anything really. Gradually, he would become numb to it all; he wouldn’t let it be how it was with Baekhyun.

In that moment with the Baekhyun, he was vulnerable, caught off guard. Each whimper and moan had exposed him, peeling away pieces of his facade to the puppy-eyed man. The noises probably fed Baekhyun’s ego, proof that he was able to pleasure well. Now, Junmyeon won’t make a sound, won’t let the brothers relish in his breaking.

Palms laid over the petite male’s eyes, coercing his head back to bare the pale column of his throat. An apple had been stuffed into his mouth, inducing the ache in his jaw. More chocolate sauce dripped down from the corners of his mouth, sticky and wet along with the saliva that pooled at his tongue. Another pair of hands toyed around with the last piece of cloth adorning his body, finger slipping in.

Suddenly, the loud screech of a chair scraping across the floor effectively ruins the atmosphere. Uncovered, the pale slave’s eyes fit about till they land upon the only figure standing in the room, thick brows crinkled and heart-shaped lips twisted into a scowl.

“Stop,” Kyungsoo demanded.

Stunned into silence, all the other siblings were shocked at the bold actions that the man of few words was taking. The hold around him loosened as the two bulkier slaves submitted to their superior. The fruit was removed from its place between his teeth, his jaw no longer smarting. Kyungsoo took hold of Junmyeon’s wrist and led him out of the dining space, the thud of the shutting door resonating throughout the empty hallway. The inferior blankly stared ahead at the styled black hair before him.

Finally, after the pair traveled a decent distance, the digits around his wrist released their grip, and his rescuer briskly continued to walk away. Words of gratitude caught in his throat.

A general rule of thumb for slaves such as Junmyeon was to not speak unless addressed. Even so, it felt wrong just to not say anything. Junmyeon could only hope he wasn’t going to regret this.

Gathering up a bit of courage, he followed Kyungsoo a few more steps prior to softly saying, “Thank you, Master Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo only turned slightly and nodded, not once halting in his quick steps. Junmyeon stood in place as he watched the other disappear up the stairs, probably retiring back to his chambers. Unsure of where to go next, the slave returns to his chambers as well. He definitely did not want to return to the rest of his masters, and he knew nothing of where to go for the mystery celebration’s preparations. Hopefully, no one would come after him. For a bit longer, he managed to evade the inevitable, Kyungsoo having been his savior. Shaky breaths escaped from the seam of his lips as it all gradually settled in. That had been much too close for comfort. Next time, he could guarantee he wouldn’t be as blessed. Soon. He needed to escape this mansion soon.

But soon, soon wasn’t a date- something assured and definite. Soon was yesterday and the day before. Soon will be tomorrow and the day after. Soon was always yet never. Soon. When was soon?

 _Soon is not too long from now. Not too long from now, you’ll be a free man._ Junmyeon reassured himself. He’d been doing the same every day for the past few years.

  
 

“Suho,” the butler called out, spotting the pale slave ascending the steps around the corner. Junmyeon began to internally panick. Kyuhyun would know that breakfast wasn’t concluded yet. After all, not much time had passed since the clock struck seven-thirty. The brunette would definitely interrogate him, asking questions that he’d be incapable of answering without poorly-crafted lies. Junmyeon had never been a good liar when put on the spot.

(It was certainly a miracle that he managed to keep up this submissive facade for all these years.)

“Have the young masters finished their meals already? They customarily consume at least an hours worth of time eating.”

The raven figuratively gulps. Should he say that yes, they have finished? Or would one of them sending him off for an errand be more believable? Maybe-

“I sent him up to get something from my room for me, Kyuhyun.”

The butler immediately bows at the sound of that voice.

“Ah, good morning, Young Master Luhan. My apologies for holding Suho back.”

_What was he doing here?_

“It’s quite alright, Kyuhyun. You’re just doing your job; I’m grateful that you’re always diligent with your work.”

A barely-there grin flitted across Kyuhyun’s normally stoic expression. “I’m flattered, young master, but as you said, I’m merely carrying out my job. You give me far too much credit.”

Luhan sent a disarming smile to the other and kindly dismissed him. Bowing again, the butler exited, a bit of pep in his stride.

“Are you alright?”

It was dead quiet for a beat until Junmyeon realized that the inquiry was directed at him. Training his eyes on the tiled floor, the slave responded, “I’m fine, master.”

The taller takes a second to look around. “Where did Kyungsoo run off too? He seemed to be pretty… cross.”

“I’m fairly certain that Master Kyungsoo is now in his chambers.”

“Oh. Well, I came to apologize for what happened down there. I wasn’t very comfortable with it- you saw me reject the proposition. Nonetheless, I didn’t intervene when I should’ve, so I’m sorry for that. They’re not going to come up here and bother you, don’t worry.”

Blinking in surprise, Junmyeon hastily shot down the apology with a shake of his head. A master should not be remorseful for acts on their slave- that’s not how the world functions.

“As a personal slave, your siblings have every right to use and treat me how they’d wish. That is the sole reason for which I was purchased. There is no need for you to feel any guilt.”

The sentences left a sour taste behind as he spoke them with frightening ease. The doe-like male frowned.

“Don’t talk like that; you are as much of a human as we are, Suho.”

There is a good deal he’d like to say, things along the lines of _I know that isn’t what you truly believe_. However, thank you was clearly the more appropriate choice, so that was what Junmyeon replied with. It earned him a bright flash of teeth.

“I’ll be on my way now. I know you weren’t able to really eat anything of sustenance because of… well. Are you hungry?”

‘No’ hung at the tip of the smaller’s tongue as the distinct gurgle of his stomach growling rung through the hall. Blood rushed to his cheeks. Amused by the expression on his face, Luhan presented him with a buttery croissant.

“Here. I wasn’t able to bring a whole ton with me without it looking weird, so I just snatched this from my own meal. It’s not a lot, but it’s better than nothing. I don’t think the cafeteria ladies will serve you another tray; they’re quite stingy.”

The blonde giggled at his own comment. Junmyeon was extremely puzzled. Masters were not supposed to be considerate to their slaves; they took as they pleased and gave nothing in return. Isn’t that how it was intended to be?

Hesitantly, the raven accepted the pastry, doubt still evident within his dark orbs.

“I don’t have any ulterior motives, I swear,” Luhan ensured. The petite male bit a miniscule chunk of the flaky delicacy, letting out a tiny gasp. The flavor was mind blowing, it being evident that the croissant was of the finest caliber. Junmyeon had never eaten something so delicious before, not even during his life prevenient slavery.

“I’ll be on my way now. You should go downstairs again for the celebration preparations. That’s what you’ve been assigned to next, I’m assuming? Pretty much all of our workers have been toiling away with it for the past few days.”

The raven nods.

“Then downstairs, opposite direction of the dining room. There you’ll see the ballroom. If you need help finding the place, ask someone. There’s bound to be several servants scurrying about. Alright?”

Another nod.

“See you later, Suho.”

With a small wave, the royal departed, ascending a different set of stairs up to the third floor. _Had he finished his meal already? What was he- was he-_ the slave huffed. _It’s not any of my business._

Dismissing the slight curiosity developing in his mind, Junmyeon devoured the croissant in mere seconds when the other was out of sight, not slowing to savor any of the pastry. He licked his fingers clean of crumbs. Afterwards, he loitered at the top of the stairway that led down to the first floor.

Though his hunger was sated, a feeling of disquiet sunk to the pit of his abdomen, swirling around alongside the pastry’s remnants.

  
 

White noise filled the corridor as workers of all sorts scuttled back and forth from what appeared to be the ballroom to various places- all outside, inside, wherever they needed to go. In an unfamiliar setting, the controlled chaos was a bit intimidating. Junmyeon guessed this was where he was obliged to be.

“Excuse me.”

A frail maid looked up at the pale man with startled eyes, wiry body curling in on itself defensively. Such a reaction was unexpected, but Junmyeon quickly recovered from the initial shock. Gesturing to the open door, the raven asked, “Is this the ballroom?”

The woman nodded vigorously before hastening away, cradling a giant vase brimming with flowers. Tiger lilies and yellow roses, the slave noted, along with a few more species of blooms that he was unable to identify.

Entering the hustle and bustle, Junmyeon craned his neck and scoured the area for the person in charge- a steward, perhaps. It was a simple task as his attention was captured by a slight, wrinkled woman strutting around the room, barking out orders and flailing her ringed fingers about. Every shrill screech produced from her unusually powerful vocal chords resulted in a servant or two flinching in apprehension.

  
 

“What is this horrid _thing_?!”, the lady cried out.

“I-it’s the fabric that Namjoon requested for the young masters’ celebration attire,” a quivering boy began,”h-he already has his designs done a-and wants to begin sewing today; getting a dif-”

“This?! Are you telling me that _this_ monstrosity is what he wants our precious young masters to don during such a momentous occasion?!”

“Well, yes-”

“I absolutely _cannot_ allow this! What is he thinking?! I’ll have to speak to Lord Kim about this- I never could comprehend why Namjoon was selected as head tailor, by god his fashion sense-”

Sharply glaring at the teenager struggling with the rolls of cloth, she coldly hissed, “Get those out of my sight.”

He didn’t hesitate to scamper, juggling the colorful textiles in his arms.

  
 

Having witnessed the scene, Junmyeon was unsure of whether to approach the steward, but it wasn’t his choice to make as the hag scanned the space and took notice of the newcomer frozen in the doorway. Pointing a filed nail at him, she shouted, “You there! Indecently-dressed pretty boy! Come here!”

At the command, the raven promptly strode to the woman, head down and hands behind his bare back. Her face contorted at the hickeys on his chest. Junmyeon could practically hear the ‘disgusting’ echoing inside of her mind.

“Lift your head.”

He did as he was told.

Creased orbs scrutinized the entirety of his figure, lingering at the silver clinging to his neck.

His collar’s design was actually rather plain considering the extravagance of everything else Junmyeon had encountered. However, sitting at its center was a detailed engraving of a lion bearing wings, the crest of Lord Kim’s family. The creature was circled by laurel leaves, and a glittering canary-hued gem constituted its eye.

The piece of jewelry signified his status as a personal slave for the lord’s sons, and as soon as she distinguished it as such, she let out a noise of recognition.

“I’m assuming that none of the young masters have a use of you currently?”

“No, madam.”

“Hm. You can…” Sighing exasperatedly, she paused for a second. “Go outside and help the other boors. They’re lugging in crates of food for the ball. You’re small, but you have some tone to you, so I’m sure this is something you can do.” Another lull. “Come with me, we need to make you suitable for actual labor- we can’t have complaints concerning your skin getting scorched by sunlight or something.”

Obediently, the slave followed.

  
 

Much to Junmyeon’s content, he finally got to wear some proper attire. Though the garb was not of the finest materials or stitched with the most valuable of thread, it was comfortable and so _normal_.

The steward had snatched him something from the normal work uniforms, and he was glad that he’d been temporarily relieved of this one pain.

A tan tunic draped across his shoulders, just a tad too large for his petite frame. Brown slacks cut off at his ankles, fluttering over woven sandals. A cloth sash coiled round his waist to help keep them up. His circlet had been brought back up to his quarters, but the collar was still cold against the base of his throat, a mandatory accessory that symbolized his status. He would have appeared to be like any other servant if not for the silver thing.

  
 

Inhaling the crisp air of the outside, Junmyeon stepped out, free of surveillance. He briefly wondered if he could just simply run now, but the sight of the enormous marble walls in the distance immediately squandered the idea.

Strangely enough, though there were people milling around the front of the manor, it was quiet- eerily so. Soft clicks of shoes and the rustle of fabric melded in with the whisper of the breeze and the murmur of leaves. Occasionally, the creaks, thunks, and scrapes of the wooden crates pierced the tranquility.

Before him, several paces away, a horse-driven cart lay propped upon the paved stone beneath it. Loaded with a choice selection of fruits and vegetables, each box removed was toted away into the confines of the stately home and tucked within the dark of a kitchen storeroom.

The short male waited in a line of other lowly laborers to receive a case of his own. A burly fellow hoisted up every one with a graceful sort of ease from his position on top of the cart, tossing them into the embrace of the sturdy men below. Eventually, Junmyeon found himself at the sandaled feet, bracing for the unpleasant impact of rough bark on his skin.

With a grunt, he caught the package, nearly teetering over. On reflex, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to regain his footing without much success. Wobbly legs sent him spinning, and if it weren’t for the cold pair of hands now on his back, he was sure he would have dropped and damaged some precious cargo. An image of splintered wood and bruised produce scattered across stone flashed for a second within his imagination. That would not have gone down well, and Junmyeon shudders at the possibilities of punishment.

Recovering from the stumble, the slave peered up at his savior and choked. Sapphire irises penetrated his own chocolate ones, and a hardly noticeable smirk graces the servant’s face.

No words were exchanged, but Junmyeon simply knew that whoever this person was, he was definitely going to be a nuisance, if not already. The blonde somehow had figured out far too much.

Disguising any outward signs of recognition, Junmyeon collected himself, straightened his posture, and marched off. His gaze was fixed directly ahead as he blocked out the sounds of footsteps behind him- following him. Those damned blue eyes were burning holes into his scalp.

  
 

A thud resonated throughout the kitchen storage and Junmyeon brushed off his clothes. Another one followed promptly after, and once again the slave was trailed. With an exhale of breath, he halted his steps. Hoping none of the other workers paid any heed to them, he initiated his movement again once he was beside the blue-eyed annoyance.

Inhale.

“Pardon, do you require something of me? I’ve been aware of your blatant glaring for awhile now,” the raven whispered as calmly as he could.

Glancing over, the mysterious blonde grinned.

“Just your… assistance.”

The sentence elicits a sigh. “I’m sorry. I’d love to be of aid, but-”

“You know, I saw you scuttling about last night.”

“-I- wait, excuse me?”

“Gave me a startle in the middle of the night. All of a sudden this oddball comes dashing into my bedroom and closes the door, huffing and puffing as if they had been, well, _running from someone_.”

Tensing, Junmyeon barely managed to stifle an onslaught of panic.

“I was just about to fall asleep, you know. Screwed my eyes real tight before my interest was piqued by this intruder. Opened them up and there you were.”

The speaker clapped once, punctuating the end of his mini-narrative.

“So, are you willing to lend me your capabilities?”

Bewildered by the absurdity of the statement, the smaller scoffed.

“To be frank, I highly doubt that I possess of any more freedom or power than you do. I’m sure you are aware that I am merely a slave, correct?”

personal “Well, yeah. You’re a slave though, that’s what makes you special.”

Lack of care for his environment settled in as Junmyeon laughed incredulously.

“Apologies, but I don’t reckon that you quite understand what that entails. In their perspective, I am nothing but an object- a thing to dispose of once I no longer of amusement or use. Therefore, I feel that it is not in your best interest to seek support from me.”

Giving a tiny bow, he then proceeded to remove himself from the conversation.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be off to perform my duties.”

The taller reached out, wiry fingers wrapping around the runaway and pulling him back.

“Apologies, but I don’t reckon that you quite understand what that entails.”

At the cheeky response, the enslaved gaped. _Dear lord, this guy is persistent._

“Listen. As the eleven elites’ one and only personal slave, you receive a lot more perks than you initially think you do. Mull over it for a bit.”

“I-”

“You’re in an excellent position in which you can easily become a person in which they confide in. Likes and dislikes and all the many ins and outs of their very being- you’re obligated to learn and memorize the entirety of it. You’re expected to always be there for them and provide them companionship, happiness, amusement.”

For a second, there was a rest in his dialogue.

“Rather than a slave, if anything, you’re like the absolutely perfect best buddy.”

 _If friends find enjoyment in tormenting and sexually harassing one another, then sure, maybe_.

“Well, probably leaning more towards a friend with benefits. And, well, they’re not really required to be your friend, you’re just required to be theirs if that makes any sense. Either way, you have the ability to really worm your way into their hearts if you’ll just hear me out. After that, won’t freedom be a piece of cake?”

_Totally._

Tired of the stranger's attempt at a convincing ramble, Junmyeon refused to reply and directed his focus on the festival. He’d have to ask someone about its purpose later- he couldn’t recall any significant dates coming up. Still, there was this nagging in the depths of his thoughts.

_What if this nuisance can actually be my key to liberation?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woops, this is a mess. 
> 
> WARNING: Super long author’s note up ahead. You don’t have you read if you don’t want to, but I would appreciate it greatly if you did as it explains a bit about why this update took an eternity. x_x
> 
> Oh my god everyone, it’s pretty much been half a year since I last updated this fic, and for that I sincerely apologize. OTL Honestly, I had more than 3k of this chapter written a LONG time ago (like in November). I was planning on finishing up the last 1k during Christmas break, but a lot of stuff happened. I ended up having to put most of my time into helping my parents, school, and working a job. On top of that, my motivation to write dwindled as I no longer found that much enjoyment in doing so. Originally, I had started this hobby as a way to relieve stress and get my mind off of the real world, but it became a burden once life started to throw lemons at my family and I. As such, instead I decided to work on my art and focused my little free time into drawing. I know I should have at least left you with an announcement or something, but the thought only came to me within the last few weeks. At that point, I felt it would only be a let down if I posted an announcement while all of you were waiting for a chapter. So, I decided that I would only give you all an update when I had something written up, and that’s how this chapter came about. I’m not really all that satisfied with its quality (no editing ;-;), but I do feel that a part of my writing spirit has been rejuvenated as a result. (It’s boring too, oops, T_T) My brain is kind of muddled right now as well (I’m sick, yay T_T), so sorry if my writing doesn’t make any sense. For those who are reading this and have patiently waited, thank you so much for your support. Anyway, here is a little sketch of pretty slave Junmyeon! I hope this can kind of make it up to you all? >_<
> 
>  

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on [AFF](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1157072/for-the-siblings-amusement-the-perfect-plaything-exo-suho-sulay-seho-sukai-suchen-suhoxeveryone), and I have decided to post it here as well! It's the first fic I've ever written, so hopefully it doesn't disappoint too much. Also, I'm pretty bad with grammar, so feel free to point out any mistakes if you see them. x o x


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